Flores slides into new year
Wilmer Flores’ 2016 season ended trying to score from second against Atlanta and getting hurt on a headfirst slide at the plate.
When he got another chance in Monday’s season opener, he didn’t hesitate. His play at the plate — a close one that needed a replay reversal — broke open a scoreless seventh-inning pitcher’s duel and sparked a 6-0 Mets win over the Braves.
This time, Flores even slid feetfirst.
“That was huge. He was able to get his foot in there. Great slide,” Lucas Duda said of Flores’ play, the first score in what ballooned into a six-run inning. “That’s huge. It gave us a one-run lead and the momentum.”
Despite suffering a season-ending injury after colliding with the catcher on a similar play last September against these same Braves, Flores didn’t hesitate when Asdrubal Cabrera singled in the seventh inning. But he did learn.
This time he slid the conventional way, his right foot catching the corner of the plate, to beat the tag by catcher Tyler Flowers, who shockingly set up 3 feet behind the plate.
“I knew [center fielder Ender] Inciarte has a good arm, so I was just trying to get there,” Flores said. “I was surprised that he was behind the plate. I don’t know the reason, but good for us.”
At first, plate umpire Jeff Kellogg called Flores out, but it took the replay booth just 1:23 to reverse the call.
“We have replays, so I don’t have to tell him that I was safe,” Flores said. “Definitely, I knew I was safe. Obviously I was safe. He was back, and I beat the throw.”
➤ With the bases loaded in the seventh, Duda drove a double to deep center field to clear them.
“It’s a big hit for Lucas after missing all that time last year,” Collins said. “[This spring] he went back to taking some short swings to the baseball. I saw this guy in the minor leagues do tremendous damage to left-center field, and when he got here, that’s what made him so successful. … I just thought it was a huge hit for him.”
For his part, Duda said “I’ll get my hits how I can get them, the other way, down the line, whatever.”
➤ The Mets signed infielder Josh Rodriguez to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas.