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Mets Announcers Sickened By Atlanta's 'Criminal' Use Of Relief Pitcher Connor Thomas
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- Mets Announcers Sickened By Atlanta's 'Criminal' Use Of Relief Pitcher Connor Thomas
Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling may be broadcasters for the New York Mets , but their main love is good baseball and what they saw from the Braves last night was anything but that.
After the fifth inning, the Atlanta Braves pulled starter Martin Perez after 87 pitches, three earned runs, one walk and three strikeouts. Replacing Perez was Connor Thomas , who quickly made it clear that he had no business being on the mound.
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In just two-and-a-half innings before mercifully being pulled, Thomas gave up 10 hits, 11 runs, five walks, two strikeouts and three home runs on 78 pitches. The Mets went on to win the game 14-3.
Through Thomas' run, Hernandez and Darling were seemingly observing with one hand over their eyes over how embarrassing it was. At one point, Hernandez declared that the Braves' decision to keep Thomas on the mound was "criminal."
"I'm sorry, I think it's just criminal what we just witnessed," Hernandez said.
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Darling said that it made him sick to his stomach to see Thomas struggling so much, while Hernandez said he was "pretty disgusted" by it.
"I mean, you just want to wrap your arms around him, give him a hug," Darling said. "I mean, literally I'm sick to my stomach."
"I'm not a happy camper at all, pretty disgusted with it."
Anger from the Fans
Hernandez and Darling may have been the loudest voices expressing distaste for Thomas staying out there as long as he was, but they were far from the only ones. Braves fans didn't like it either.
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"Bullpen has been over worked... needed Thomas to take one for the team. Oh and we're playing for something, unlike the Mets," one user on X remarked.
"Sooooooo they literally handed the Mets the game. How does anyone defend the Braves management here? They literally gave up after the 7th inning even thoughthey still had a chance to win," wrote another.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 26: A general view of gloves and an Atlanta Braves hat against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 26, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Braves defeated the Phillies 6-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
"I'd rather have 62 wins (like the Braves) vs 62 losses (like the Mets). Maybe that should make you sick to your stomach. Bad losses happen, and yes Thomas wore it bad, but he also saved the bullpen, which is a huge deal. He did a good thing for this team," a third wrote.
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As disappointed as Braves fans obviously were to lose the game - let alone in the way that they did - the fact of the matter is that Thomas staying out there gave the Atlanta Braves bullpen some much-needed rest. They have 56 games left (including one tonight) to make up the difference and still have a decent lead in the NL East race, leading the Phillies by 5.5 wins.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jul 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
