Rat or raccoon? Here's what happened in dugout tunnel during NY Mets 5-4 win (2024)

Justin Toscano|MLB Writer

NEW YORK —Patrick Mazeika, taking only the second at-bat of his career, hit a dribbler that scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Mets had successfully rallied from an early four-run deficit. Duringthe comeback, Francisco Lindor launched a game-tying, two-run home run in the seventh inning.

Despite all of this excitement, something else grabbed attention during a game the Mets(14-13) eventually won, 5-4, over the Diamondbacks at Citi Field on Friday night: What happened in the Mets' dugout tunnel?

After the Mets recorded the final out in the top of the seventh, SNY's broadcast cameras caught Michael Conforto and Dominic Smith rushing down the tunnel. It seemed something grabbed their attention as they reached the dugout steps. Jonathan Villar followed them down there. Lindor and Jeff McNeil were together in the tunnel.

The reason, per Lindor: "It was funny because I told (McNeil), I was like, ‘Hey, I’ve never seen a New York rat.’ We went down sprinting. I wanted to go see a New York rat and he got mad and he’s like, ‘No that’s not a rat, it’s a raccoon.’ And I’m like, ‘Hell no, man! It’s a damn rat! It’s a New York rat!’ It was crazy because we were going back and forth debating whether it was a rat or raccoon."

Added McNeil:“Nice debate about a rat or a raccoon. To be honest, I thought it was actually anopossum."

Added manager Luis Rojas:"At that point in the game, I knew something was going on. I heard some guys scrambling and going down to the tunnel. I went down to check. When I went down to check and I got there, the one thing that I ran into was Francisco telling me,”Let’s go play ball, let’s go play ball Louie,’ and we just came back up.”

Following Lindor's homer in the seventh — his first at Citi Field — he celebrated with teammates in the dugout then briefly went down to the tunnel. Once he returned,the broadcast cameras caught him in the dugout with a serious and somber look. The man nicknamed "Mr. Smile" was not smiling after a moment that ignited the crowd and his team.

Again: No one knew what had occurred in the tunnel or the clubhouse. Was it serious? Was it sad? Bad? People were wondering.

Some speculated that Lindor and McNeil fought over a miscommunication on a ball. They've had a couple different miscommunications in the middle infield this season.“Just a little miscommunication there, but no big deal," McNeil said. Lindor said he was mad that he didn't make the play.

Lindor assured nothing occurred between he and McNeil, and that their relationship is strong as ever.

“I can bring him out and probably give him a kiss on the cheek if you guys want," Lindor said.

McNeil said he and Lindor are "great" and "work well together up the middle." Rojas said his team is like family, and added that Lindor has been like another coach for McNeil.

The entire situation did not seem like a joke, though, as the Mets want us to believe. The cameras also caught McNeil looking frustrated as he stood in the field. But he said that was because he had lined out in his previous at-bat and felt he hit the ball hard.

“I was mad on the field because I didn’t make the play, so that’s why it probably looked like it was angry," Lindor said. "And then Jeff, obviously because I was going against him on whether it was a rat or a raccoon, of course he’s going to be mad."

In the press box, on the broadcast and on social media, the tunnel business became a storyline, even as the Mets and Diamondbacks were locked in a tie game late.

Other questions had to be asked.

Why did many players look concerned and rush down the tunnel?

"Because of the rat," Lindor said. "They couldn’t believe that we were going back and forth between a raccoonor a rat. I swear this thing was pretty big."

And what happened to the beast?

“Probably one of the grounds crew guys came and grabbed it,:" Lindor said. "I still got to figure out if it was a rat or a raccoon."

Will people even believe this story?

"I mean, New Yorkers probably will because they've seen the rats here," Lindor said.

What if they don't believe it?

“They can believe whatever they want," McNeil said. "We’re a tight-knit group. Everybody loves everybody."

Rojas hoped to focus on the victory. After all, his team climbed back from a four-run deficit to win a third straight game. Lindor homered and Mazeika notched his first career RBI. The bullpen pitched well once again, keeping the Mets close when the game could've gotten out of hand.

But you still leave this one wondering what actually happened in the dugout tunnel.

“I heard something about a rat and a raccoon," Mazeika said. "All I saw was some guys down in the tunnel looking for it. I don’t really know what happened down there. I didn’t get a good look."

Justin Toscanois theMetsbeat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to allMetsanalysis, news, trades and more, pleasesubscribe todayanddownload our app.

Email:toscanoj@northjersey.com

Twitter:@justinctoscano

Rat or raccoon? Here's what happened in dugout tunnel during NY Mets 5-4 win (2024)
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