The New York Mets dropped their fifth straight game on Wednesday night, falling 5-0 to the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. But while the shutout loss stung, it was a bizarre defensive blunder from catcher Luis Torrens that left fans fuming.
In the first inning, with runners on second and third and the Braves already up 1-0, Torrens attempted to block a pitch in the dirt. What happened next was something straight out of a Little League nightmare. The Mets catcher used his mask to stop the ball from rolling away before picking it up with his glove. That’s a violation of MLB Rule 5.06(b)(3)(E), which forbids using detached equipment to touch a live ball.
The umpires caught it, and Atlanta was awarded another run while both runners advanced.
Watch it here:
Luis Torrens touched the ball with his mask in the first inning, which allowed each runner to advance a base and the Braves to score their second run pic.twitter.com/yF1JK5g9Nf
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 18, 2025
Luis Torrens’ Rule Blunder Sparks Frustration
Torrens owned up to the mistake postgame. “I took off my mask … when I went to grab the ball, I touched it and I immediately knew,” he said through an interpreter. The Mets were already reeling offensively, and this only added to their mounting woes.
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Torrens didn’t help his case at the plate either. He went 0-for-4 on the night. Meanwhile, Braves ace Chris Sale was untouchable, carrying a shutout into the ninth inning and finishing with eight-plus scoreless frames. Matt Olson added a solo home run in the seventh to seal the Mets’ fate.
Fans weren’t forgiving. Many took to social media to call the play “embarrassing” and even demand that Luis Torrens be benched or traded after the error.
Torrens didn’t help his case at the plate either. He went 0-for-4 on the night. NL’s All-Star voting leader, Francisco Lindor, also went hitless, finishing with the same line. Adding to the Mets’ woes, reliever Jose Butto later uncorked a wild pitch that brought in another run. Then Matt Olson added a solo homer in the seventh, completing Atlanta’s five-run shutout.
Meanwhile, Braves ace Chris Sale was untouchable, carrying a shutout into the ninth inning and finishing with 8 2/3 scoreless frames.
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