Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña misplays pop fly while taking part in an in-game TV interview

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena, left, looks to first after forcing out Colorado Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Houston. Ryan McMahon advanced to second on the play on a throwing error by Pena. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

NEW YORK (AP) — Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña misplayed a fly ball Friday night in a game against the New York Mets while participating in an in-game interview.

Peña was involved in an interview with Apple TV+ just before New York's Jeff McNeil popped up toward the shortstop area with one out in the bottom of the second inning. Peña was shaded toward the second base bag against the left-handed hitting McNeil and ranged to his right and was on the edge of the outfield grass close behind third baseman Alex Bregman. Neither Peña not Bregman put their glove up to make the play on the pop up and the ball landed between them.

“Holy …,” Peña said as the ball bounced once before he grabbed it and tossed it back to the infield. Peña and Bregman appeared to glance briefly at one another.

McNeil was credited with a hit, and was picked off first base by pitcher Ronel Blanco two pitches into Harrison Bader’s at-bat. Bader struck out to end the inning.

Peña is the second player in the last three weeks to misplay a ball while conducting an in-game interview with Apple TV.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Kiké Hernández was speaking with Dontrelle Willis in the second inning on June 7 when a grounder by the New York Yankees’ Gleyber Torres hit Hernández on his bare right hand and ricocheted off his body. Hernández recovered and threw to first, but Torres beat the throw and Hernández was charged with an error.

Torres didn’t score and the Dodgers won, 2-1, in 11 innings. Afterward, Hernández said he didn’t blame the error on being distracted because the ball “… had a weird hop.”

Hernández said he wouldn’t reconsider whether to do in-game interviews in the future.

“No, because we’re getting paid,” he said. “I like money.”

Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement calls for a player to receive a $10,000 stipend for wearing a two-way microphone for at least one inning of a regular-season game. The amount rises to $15,000 in the postseason.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Jerry Beach, The Associated Press