{
  "id": 8027104,
  "title": "Mets' billion dollar trio allows 'double' after ball drops between all three players",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/mets-billion-dollar-trio-allows-double-after-ball-drops-between-all",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-17T13:01:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/mets-billion-dollar-trio-allows-double-after-ball-drops-between-all-three-players-130145225.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The New York Mets found themselves in an embarrassing situation on Wednesday when a pop fly hit by Orioles third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand landed between three of their players. Bo Bichette, Francisco Lindor, and Juan Soto all converged on the ball, but Bichette put his glove down and turned away at the last second, allowing the ball to drop between them. Orioles announcer Kevin Brown famously quipped, \"About a billion dollars worth of Mets out in left field, and none of them could pick it up.\" The trio's combined salaries totaled $1.2 billion. Encarnacion-Strand scored on the play, giving the Orioles a 3-0 lead. The Mets went on to lose the game 7-1, and their season record is now 69-83. The broadcast team later pointed the finger at Lindor for the miscommunication, despite Soto being in the best position to make the catch. Soto had a long run but appeared to ease up at the end, and had he kept running, he might have been able to catch the ball. The incident highlights the Mets' struggles this season, with all three players failing to live up to expectations. With high payrolls and disappointing performances, the team will face tough questions in the offseason.",
  "summary": "The Mets' three biggest stars didn't cover themselves in glory on this play.",
  "key_points": [
    "$1.2 billion trio of Mets players failed to catch ball",
    "Orioles' Christian Encarnacion-Strand scored on dropped pop fly",
    "Mets' season record stands at 69-83 after loss"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}