The New York Mets will look to cement their NL East lead with two series against the Philadelphia Phillies this month.
Mets fans tuning into SNY’s coverage won’t hear Keith Hernandez on the call for any of those games this weekend and next weekend.
The broadcaster, and recently inducted team Hall of Famer, said during Tuesday night’s telecast that he’s attending a 40-year anniversary of the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals this weekend and getting scheduled time off next weekend.
Hernandez wondered if SNY clearing him to miss work had anything to do with admitting his “hate” for calling Phillies games.
“As far as fundamentally and defensively, the Phillies have always been, just not up to it,” Hernandez said.
Whether it’s the Mets or their opponent, Hernandez is always a stickler for “bad fundies.” He’s never afraid to hide his disapproval of poor execution on the diamond.
Mets fans were amused by him prodding their division nemesis.
Phillies fans unsurprisingly did not take the jab well. They came to the team’s defense and noted their recent improvement — especially on defense — since firing manager Joe Girardi.
Nobody has gotten this angry at Hernandez since Kramer and Newman, but Phillies fans probably won’t make amends and offer to help him move.
Even with Bryce Harper sidelined, the Phillies have stormed back into the playoff picture. A six-game winning streak has vaulted them into the National League’s second wild-card spot.
However, they’d need to dominate their upcoming encounters to have any chance of catching New York for the division crown. The Mets are 10 games ahead of the Phillies after winning 14 of their last 16 games and are leading the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon.