Reyes goes 3-for-6 in Mets' loss
Jose Reyes #7 of the New York Mets rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the third inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field. (Sept. 27, 2011) Credit: Getty Images
Jose Reyes went 3-for-6 with a pair of home runs as the Mets lost to the Reds Tuesday night, 5-4, in 13 innings. Reyes goes into the final day of the season with a one-point lead in the NL batting race.
Reyes is batting .336. Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, who went 1-for-2 with two walks against the Pirates, is batting .335.
Reyes hit solo home runs off Bronson Arroyo in the third and fifth. He received a curtain call after the second home run.
In the ninth, Reyes hit a swinging bunt down the third-base line. Pitcher Aroldis Chapman fielded it and threw wildly to first. It was scored a single and an error as Reyes took second after his sixth hit in his last eight at-bats. Reyes ended the 11th inning with a fly ball to right.
The Mets were leading 4-3 in the ninth, but Juan Francisco doubled off Bobby Parnell with two outs to drive in the tying run. Cincinnati scored the go-ahead run in the 13th on Drew Stubbs' suicide squeeze bunt.
The Mets host the Reds Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the season finale. The Brewers host the Pirates seven hours later.
Mets manager Terry Collins made it clear he will manipulate Reyes' at-bats however he needs to in an attempt to get him the Mets' first batting title.
"Why wouldn't we want our guy to win it?" asked Collins, who said he told Reyes, " 'We'll do what's right. We'll start you, but no guarantees how long you're going to be in there.' "
Collins also hinted he might do something like remove Reyes in the middle of an inning so he can get an ovation from Mets fans. Reyes, of course, will be a free agent after the season, so this could be his last appearance as a Met.
"He deserves to have the attention [today] may bring," Collins said.
Reyes said he expects to be anxious Wednesday, but not because of the batting race.
"I don't even know if I'm going to sleep tonight," Reyes said. "Last game of the season, I'm going to be a free agent after the season. Who knows what's going to happen. I'll try to do my job and see what happens. It's going to be tough because I'm going to think about it, for sure, because it's going to be in my head. I don't know if I'm going to be at Citi Field next year. Who knows? We'll find out soon."
