STORY OF THE SEASON PAGES 48-49
FLORES WALK-OFF HERO IN OPENER, OFFENSE GOES MISSING IN NIGHTCAP
If the Mets are celebrating a win in their final at-bat, odds are Wilmer Flores is the reason for the rare moment of joy.
There isn’t a Met who has produced more memorable highlights in this lost season than he has.
He thrilled the loyal fans who showed up at Citi Field on Monday, writing his name into the franchise record books in the process. Flores added to his already clutch résumé with a walk-off homer — becoming the organization’s all-time leader in walk-off RBIs with 10, passing David Wright’s nine — as the Mets knocked off the Phillies, 4-3 in 10 innings, in Game 1 of a doubleheader.
They, however, had to settle for a split after newly minted All-Star Aaron Nola blanked them over seven one-hit innings in a 3-1 victory in the nightcap.
“It’s almost getting to a point where you expect it,” starting pitcher Zack Wheeler said after Flores produced his fourth walkoff hit of the year, fourth walk-off homer of his career and second this season. “When the game’s on the line, that’s the guy you want to have up there.”
“It means you’re coming through with what you have to do, and that’s good,” Flores said about becoming the franchise’s leader in walk-off RBIs. “It doesn’t get old. It’s always the same feeling. Not because you did it, but because you won a ballgame.”
Appearing as a pinch-hitter, Flores blasted a 3-1 Victor Arano fastball off the foul pole down the left-field line for his eighth homer of the season. He made a winner out of Tim Peterson (2-1), who capped 5 ¹/3 innings of scoreless relief from the Mets bullpen.
The Mets (36-52) were fortunate Flores had the opportunity to swing the bat. He appeared to be hit by a 2-1 Arano pitch, which the Mets had reviewed. The call wasn’t overturned.
“It did hit him,” Wheeler said. “We saw it on the replay and then I just talked to him. I’m glad they didn’t overturn it.”
Flores had the Mets’ only hit against Nola in Game 2, a first-inning single, as the Phillies’ ace cruised to his 12th win of the sea- son while striking out 10. Nola was also responsible for the game’s biggest hit, a three-run, fifth-inning double that snapped a scoreless tie and ended Corey Oswalt’s no-hit bid.
Oswalt — in his fourth career major league outing — allowed just that one hit over a careerhigh six innings and struck out seven.
“I think it’s good step forward for me,” the 24-yearold rookie right-hander said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t win the game. I just wanted to go out there and attack, and it just happened that way.”
Flores prevented the shutout with a run-scoring double in the
ninth off Tommy Hunter, but Arano got redemption by striking out pinch-hitter Devin Mesoraco with the tying runs aboard to preserve the victory.
In the opener, Wheeler produced his shortest outing since he lasted only four innings on May 16, a span of 10 starts, as he remained winless since April 29. Unlike so many of his recent performances, though, Wheeler didn’t deserve a victory. He was frequently behind in the count and unable to put the Phillies’ hitters away in front of scouts from the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Cubs, Marlins and Twins.
He threw 51 pitches over the first two innings, allowed seven hits, three earned runs and walked three while striking out eight. He twice allowed two-out runs, in the first and second innings, and was pulled with two on and two outs in the fifth in favor of Seth Lugo.
Asdrubal Cabrera snapped the Mets’ latest scoring drought at 18 2/3 innings in the first, with a solo shot to right off Zach Eflin. In his next at-bat, he doubled off the right field fence to give the Mets what would be a short-lived lead in the third. In the ensuing frame, Maikel Franco took Wheeler deep, pulling the Phillies even at three.
It stayed that way until the 10th, when Flores added more walk-off magic to his already extensive portfolio.
“This time I was thinking about a walk-off,” he said, “because everybody was.”