Showdown CLEARLY designed to work against you

I just did a Team Affinity Showdown, against my better judgment due to what I noticed last year about this mode, and surprisingly I did GREAT! I failed only one step and built out an all diamond team going into my last showdown challenge. I had three diamond perks as well and was in a great position to actually complete it. My challenge was to beath Jack Flaherty on "VETERAN." down by 2 runs with 15 out.

I should also note that I routinely play the game on all-star and have little to no problem winning almost every game with ease.

I led off the game with a solo shot to bring it within 1 run. Followed that with two hits so I have first and second. Here's where the fun begins.

Next contact made, the familiar showdown ground into double play, runner advances to third. Whatever, no big deal - a decent fly ball scores a decent runner standing at third, right? WRONG! Next hit is a moderately deep fly ball, so I tag up. The outfielder, Justin Williams, I assume guns down my runner at the plate with ease off his back foot. This raises my frustration beyond measure at this point as the familiar showdown "screw you" mechanic rears its ugly head again.

The next 12 outs were a mix of easy fly balls and choppers mostly. Add in a few screaming line drives stabbed by fielders out of nowhere and a couple hard grounder Goldschmidt miraculously stabbed after they were past him already and that was that. I did hit another solo shot to tie it, but that was just the icing on the cake of this absolute monstrosity of a mode, designed to screw you over at every single turn and not even remotely close to being the level it claims you are facing.

SDS - It is so utterly transparent that you design this mode to be this way. I will never again touch it due to this complete nonsense. Grinds are fine when everything is clear and fair, but when you not so transparently modify a game mode to create things like this happening and force the person to start from scratch again when they fail because you stacked the deck against them? That's infuriating.

You make a great overall game, but stop chasing every little dime by artificially making things more difficult.

The team affinity showdown easier is 100x easier than a single showdown they put out last year. If you aren't already, pick the exit Velo perks. It makes an extreme difference

I’m going to get flamed for this surely, but with multiple outs left, you had no business tagging up unless it was a deep fly to the track and above 80 speed. There’s just no reason to risk it. That one is on you

As I said, I breezed through every challenge before the final one. I agree it was easier than last year. The final challenge though was just so soul-crushing. I'm sure my frustration had a lot to do with it too after getting gunned at home on a ball that any real player scores with ease on. It could be on me like Hikes noted, but I struggle with that when it's a fly ball tailing from the right fielder that they have to go back on a bit too. No RF in the game makes the throw while in motion and hits a bullseye like that.

I had three exit velo perks on too, diamond level. Appreciate the advice either way!