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 feet-first.
“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 wrist 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.
[mlbvideo id=”1254994483″ width=”640″ height=”360″ /]
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.
Wilmer Flores collides with Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski on Sept. 10, 2016.AP“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.”
Safe also could refer to the way he slid this time.
“I did say, ‘Oh, don’t tell me we’re going to go through this again,’ ” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “But he didn’t headfirst slide this time. That helped out.”
“Yeah, I think I learned my lesson. I’m not going to head[first] slide any more at home plate,’’ Flores said. “I’m just going to go feet first.”
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.”
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.
