Braves apparently wet field to slow Reyes

ATLANTA -- Did the Braves set a quicksand trap to slow Jose Reyes? That's what it looked like Tuesday night as Reyes had trouble staying upright on a soggy infield, despite an otherwise dry night at Turner Field.

Reyes, wearing his usual plastic cleats, slipped badly three times, a rarity for him. In the first inning, after he stumbled diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt, play was stopped and the umpires signaled for the grounds crew to apply a drying agent to the area.

Reyes stole second and later scored, but that was not the end of his trouble. On his third-inning single, he slipped and fell rounding first. In the seventh, he lost his footing as he charged an Alex Gonzalez grounder and spiked his throw into the turf.

When asked if he thought the Braves purposely doused the field to slow him, Reyes didn't deny the possibility.

"I think they put too much water on it," Reyes said. "I've played a lot of times and it's not even close [to that]. I don't care. It's not Citi Field. They can do what they want.''

The Mets will be on the lookout Wednesday for any more water shenanigans, but Reyes wasn't sure about changing his footwear. He was considering donning new plastic cleats.

Turner needs time

Collins said before the game that Justin Turner would need a couple of days to nurse a bruised right thumb.

The manager said that Turner suffered the injury after getting jammed on a pitch, and the condition worsened to the point where he had to bunt in his final at-bat Monday.

"He's got a bad thumb, and I don't know if I want that out there right now," Collins said. "I want to have him ready for [Mike] Minor."

The lefthanded Minor will start for the Braves Thursday.