Castillo Drops the Popup

June 12, 2009, the new Yankee Stadium, the first Subway Series game there that year. The Mets led 8–7 in the ninth. David Wright's double off Mariano Rivera in the eighth had put them there. Francisco Rodriguez was one out from a save. Derek Jeter was on second, Mark Teixeira on first after an intentional walk, and Alex Rodriguez popped up a pitch he had been ahead in the count on. Rodriguez slammed his bat down. He thought the game was over.

Luis Castillo, a three-time Gold Glove second baseman, drifted into short right and tried to take the ball one-handed. It hit the glove and fell. Jeter scored easily. Castillo then threw to second instead of home, and Teixeira scored too. The Yankees won, 9–8. Castillo sat alone in the visitors' clubhouse afterward and said it was a routine fly ball, and that the ball was moving.

The Mets of that summer were already finding new ways to lose. This one was the plainest: two outs, a popup, a Gold Glove, and a throw that did not even try for the runner at the plate.