Joe Davis might embrace a little tribalism in Major League Baseball, but that mindset usually comes with a predictable side effect of fans who think national announcers don’t like their team. Davis, Adam Amin, Karl Ravech, Jon “Boog” Sciambi, Wayne Randazzo — pretty much any announcer on a national stage is going to catch flak for not sounding excited enough when [insert team] does something good.

It’s just part of the job. Ask Joe Buck.

So no, the Karl Ravech’s of the world don’t secretly hate your favorite team. But in this case, Mets fans may have a legitimate gripe with the voice of Sunday Night Baseball after a few of his home run calls. And while I am a Mets fan — and often a full-fledged ambassador for the SNY booth — this isn’t about Gary, Keith, and Ron. Sure, Mets fans would love to hear their beloved trio for all 162 games, but that’s not how national broadcasts work.

The Mets are on national TV as often as any major market team, and after a rainout wiped out their Wednesday Night Baseball slot prior to the All-Star Break, ESPN slotted in Sunday’s Mets-Giants matchup in San Francisco instead.

It looked like the right call by the Worldwide Leader.

The Mets delivered in a big spot, as Ronny Mauricio tied the game with a splash hit into McCovey Cove, and a few batters later, Juan Soto gave them the lead with a solo shot of his own, both coming in the top of the seventh off Randy Rodríguez, one of the best relievers in baseball. In the ninth, Edwin Díaz made it interesting, but escaped by striking out Willy Adames and Matt Chapman with the bases loaded to lock down the sweep and extend New York’s win streak to seven.

It was one of the better games of the season and had all the makings of a signature moment. But Ravech’s call of Mauricio’s game-tying homer fell far short of doing it justice. The 24-year-old rookie went 4-for-4, and his 398-foot blast was a no-doubter from the moment it left the bat. The only question was whether it would stay fair. Mauricio may have paused to watch it clear the foul line — channeling his inner Carlton Fisk — but Ravech’s uncertainty made the call feel underwhelming for a game-tying blast.

Impressive game-tying homer from Ronny Mauricio, who managed to keep it fair against one of the league’s best relievers.

Batting eighth and ninth tonight, Francisco Alvarez and Mauricio are a combined 5-for-6 with three extra-base hits and all three Mets runs. pic.twitter.com/6Z4p82QiNv

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 28, 2025

And while we’d already seen an announcer struggle with the fair-or-foul call earlier in the weekend, this one wasn’t quite as egregious, but the hesitation from the booth still undercut the excitement the moment probably deserved.

I know everyone takes turns shitting on Sunday Night Baseball’s broadcast for good reason

But the two Karl Ravech HR calls tonight on game-tying and go-ahead home runs were probably the worst calls I’ve heard all year

— jack (@Jolly_Olive) July 28, 2025

A genuinely horrible home run call on a game-tying splash hit. pic.twitter.com/nXqDtgsD9v

— Sean Fennessey (@SeanFennessey) July 28, 2025

Chris Caray had a better HR call than whatever Karl Ravech just did

— Phill (@MeekPhill_) July 28, 2025

Such complaints are nothing new. We get it. Local fans are upset that a national broadcaster didn’t sound excited enough for their team. More tonight at 11. But this wasn’t just a lack of enthusiasm. The call itself was awkward and oddly disengaged, even by neutral standards.

This isn’t about piling on Karl Ravech, who’s been vocal about his commitment to ESPN’s baseball coverage and the sport’s future on the network. But there’s been enough criticism — not just from fans, but from multiple media voices (granted, many with Mets ties) — that it’s hard to dismiss entirely.

And while this shouldn’t be seen as an opportunity to punch down at Sunday Night Baseball as the league sorts out its next media partner, that call was the cherry on top of an evening already marred by broadcast mishaps.