Oops! Mets bat out of turn in 1st inning

First-year manager Mickey Callaway knew something was badly wrong when Wilmer Flores went to the plate for the first time. At that point, it was too late to change the Mets’ mistake.

New York wasted a first-inning rally by batting out of turn, and Adam Duvall led off the 10th inning with a homer that sent the Reds to a 2-1 victory Wednesday in Cincinnati.

This one simply wasn’t in the lineup cards for New York.

“It is frustrating,” said Callaway, who blamed himself for an administrative mistake. “It probably cost us a game. We had a chance to score in the first and we didn’t.”

The Reds took advantage. Duvall connected for the first game-ending homer of his career off A.J. Ramos (1-2), sending New York to its eighth loss in nine games.

The Mets handed Callaway’s lineup card to the umpires, which had Asdrubal Cabrera batting second and Wilmer Flores third. However, the lineup sent out by computer pregame and posted on the dugout wall incorrectly had the two hitters switched in the order. Callaway did not identify who sent out the incorrect lineup.

Callaway knew there was nothing he could do when Flores batted out of turn and struck out for the second out. Cabrera then doubled to left, and the Reds pointed out the discrepancy. The double was nullified and an out was called, credited to Jay Bruce, the next batter.

“I felt bad,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “It’s so easy to have that happen.”

It was the first time a major league team was caught batting out of turn since the Brewers did it in 2016.

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