Fans were taken aback during a tense ninth inning. The Mets had just given up a devastating two-run homer to fall behind, putting the Brewers just three outs away from forcing a deciding Game 3. In that all-important moment, ESPN decided to do an in-game interview that completely detracted from what everyone was actually there to see.
Jesse Rogers popped up in Milwaukee's dugout for an interview with Garrett Mitchell, who had just hit the all-important homer. That talk came after the top of the ninth had already begun. The Mets had just made their first out, and Jose Iglesias, one of the hottest hitters in baseball, was up to bat.
ESPN juuuuust made it back in time from that 9th-inning in-game interview to catch Jose Iglesias's flyout. pic.twitter.com/UEEBlpt2XX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 3, 2024
What made it worse was that the interview was shown full screen while Iglesias saw a pitch. The camera barely panned back to the on-field action to show Iglesias flying out to right field for the second out.
Talk about ruining the suspense.
By the time the camera panned back, viewers barely saw the fly ball land in the right fielder's glove for the second out
Uh, @espn, you wanna know what is more important than an in-game interview?
THE GAME ITSELF.
Amazing to miss a pitch with one out in the ninth of a 5-3 game while lingering in the dugout talking to a player.
— Norman Chad (@NormanChad) October 3, 2024
"So stupid," one X user commented. "Whoever had this genius idea to interview the guy two outs away from the game being over should be canned."
"That's the most egregious thing I may have ever seen in a broadcast," another user added on X.
Why is ESPN doing an in-game player interview in the 9th inning of elimination Postseason game...
— Kim Adams (@_kimadams) October 3, 2024
Others called the entire ordeal "infuriating" and flat-out "horrible timing."
Many fans just wanted to know what the point of the interview was in the first place. After all, the Brewers were mere minutes away from potentially winning the game, and that exact same interview could have taken place immediately afterward; in fact, Mitchell appeared in the interview right after the game with Scott Van Pelt.
Is @espn for real?? An in-game interview with 1 out in the 9th inning of a playoff game?! What a joke.
— NephewsPod (@NephewsPod) October 3, 2024
"ESPN insisting on in-game interviews is so annoying," another X account posted. "No one wants those. No one likes those. Show the damn game."
The good news is that baseball fans will be treated to a winner-takes-all Game 3 between the Mets and Brewers on Thursday. The bad news, though, is that it's again on ESPN... perhaps they'll take note and make sure to not interrupt the most important inning next time.
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