Bad baseballs? New York Mets angry after rash of HBPs

By DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — The New York Mets are upset after several of their hitters have been hit by pitches over the first few weeks of the season. Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt says bad baseballs are to blame. The actual problem is probably multifaceted, ranging from cold weather to bad luck. The Mets have been hit 19 times this season in 20 games, which leads the league by a wide margin. But MLB-wide hit-by-pitch rates were actually down slightly heading into Wednesday’s games.