Last week, Terry Collins failed to pinch run for Wilmer Flores in the eighth inning because, as he said, “I was trying to get the pitching set up and get a pinch hitter in and got distracted, my fault.”  (New York Post). 

As a result of Collins being distracted, Flores, one of the slowest runners on the Mets, stayed in the game. T.J. Rivera hit a pinch hit single that would’ve scored almost any other Mets player. Instead, there was a play at the plate. Flores slid headfirst into Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Not only was Flores out at the plate, he was knocked out of the game with a neck injury. With his ensuing wrist injury, he might be gone for the season. 

With that in mind, you figure Collins would be sure not to get that distracted again. You’d figure wrong. 

The Mets were down 1-0 in the seventh, and they loaded the bases. With the pitcher’s spot due up, Collins was looking at his deep bench to pick his second pinch hitter of the inning. As you have to pinch hit for the pitcher, you also have to get your pitching lined up for the next inning. Ultimately, Collins would pick Michael Conforto to pinch hit. 

While all of this “hysteria” was occurring, Collins left James Loney, who is perhaps the slowest position player in all of baseball, standing on second base. If Flores wasn’t scoring on a single, you know Loney wasn’t either. 

It wasn’t until after Conforto took a first pitch strike that Collins figured out he needed a pinch runner. Naturally, he wouldn’t go to one of his faster runners, but to Ty Kelly. Ultimately, it didn’t matter as Conforto, who has been ice cold since being put on ice by Collins, struck out leaving the bases loaded. 

Fortunately, the Mets would go on to score in the eighth and win the game in extras behind two Curtis Granderson home runs. 

Still, you have to be worried that the Mets manager made the same mistake twice in the same week. You have to be even more concerned when you consider these are errors most managers don’t even make.