When ESPN brought its announcing crew to Citi Field on Sunday for the Mets-Nationals game, I was leery of what would be accomplished by planting all three announcers in the bleachers, far from the traditional broadcast booth. It was not a very illuminating spot from which to call a game that would, with the Mets’ victory, put them in a tie for first place with the Nationals.

This had been destined to be an SNY game until ESPN exercised its right on July 17 to give a national prime-time slot to a game that was going to be shown locally.

ESPN can select games on two weeks’ notice for Sunday nights in August and September, which can irk fans who rely on the original afternoon start times. When they purchased their tickets, they expected to be home by dinnertime, not in time for a late-night snack. Is it fair? No. But it is the business we’ve all chosen as modern-day fans; powerful networks make choices that inconvenience us. Dissatisfaction with the move could have been principally responsible for the paid attendance of 35,374, well below the 42,996 for Saturday night.

ESPN could have moved three other afternoon games (in Los Angeles, Baltimore and Cincinnati) but selected Nationals-Mets. It was, an ESPN spokesman said, “the best game on the board out of the four possibilities.” So, Mets fans, shifting the game was really praise for your team’s resurgence. Blame the prime-time start on Sandy Alderson — he’s finally fielded a winning team!