Umpire's missed judgment call, sac fly mess doomed Yankees to late defeat vs. Mets

Getting hit by a baseball is almost universally a good thing for a batter in any tight baseball game - on one condition. You can't swing. Unfortunately, neither the home plate umpire nor the first base umpire had any interest in properly litigating that rule in the top of the ninth inning of a deadlocked Subway Series game between the New York Yankees and New York Mets on Saturday afternoon.

What could've been the DJ LeMahieu Game or the Cody Bellinger Game instead became a Mets win, in large part due to the way the bases were loaded ahead of Francisco Lindor in the ninth.

After LeMahieu - already with two hits in the game, as well as some special defense in the seventh - lined out directly to Juan Soto on a smash with a .700 expected batting average, he nearly completed another defensive gem on a Brett Baty dribbler to the right side. Unfortunately, he was unable to complete the play, putting two men on with one out for Tyrone Taylor.

On a 1-1 pitch from Fernando Cruz, Taylor started to swing at an inside pitch, which made contact with his elbow as he rotated. The bat easily crossed the halfway point in breaking the plane, which should've been more than enough to qualify it as a swing and a miss and keep him in the box.

The umpires didn't care. They didn't really convene, either. Aaron Boone briefly protested towards first base, but was only let down.

Instead of Taylor remaining at the plate, the bags were instead full for Lindor, with Soto on deck. Lindor popped a 3-1 pitch just deep enough to get the speedy Luisangel Acuña home, and that was that. Edwin Diaz took care of the ninth inning 1-2-3, which should've sent the game to extras, but didn't.

Would Bellinger have been able to drill the runner at the plate if Jasson Dominguez had gotten out of his way and allowed him to load? Doubtful. But that didn't prevent the moment from becoming a postgame narrative, with Belli caught counseling Dominguez in the dugout afterwards before hugging it out.

Fernando Cruz's hit-by-pitch (that should've been a strike) led to Yankees' loss vs. Mets in Subway Series

There were numerous moments that could've reversed this result. Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and Celtics fans whining about a series defeat against the Knicks. Jorbit Vivas could've bunted in the fifth with two on and no outs. Luke Weaver could've been used in the ninth-inning jam ... if he hadn't been forced to warm for two pitches on Friday night. This game was lost 15 times in the interim, and potentially all the way back to the series opener.

But also, Tyrone Taylor swung. Get it right.