Turner's hit cancels Reyes' blunders
Mets second baseman Justin Turner connects for a go-ahead two-run single to deep center against the Dodgers. (May 7, 2011) Credit: Christopher Pasatieri
Jose Reyes was able to offer explanations with a smile, knowing Justin Turner's two-run single had saved his hide. In the end, the shortstop's two baserunning blunders -- one in the second and another in the seventh -- were overshadowed by the positive vibes in the Mets' clubhouse after a 4-2 win over the Dodgers.
Reyes' two-out RBI single to center put the Mets up 2-0 in the second, but the star shortstop was caught sleeping at first base by catcher Dioner Navarro, who picked off a wandering Reyes to end the inning.
But the mental lapses continued in the seventh. After Reyes led off the inning with a single and then moved to second on a Daniel Murphy sacrifice, he tried to reach third base on a David Wright grounder to short. Reyes was caught in a rundown that all but drained the momentum from the Mets and the energy from Citi Field -- that is, until Turner's pinch-hit heroics an inning later.
"I made a mistake there," Reyes said. "There's nothing to say. I have to do better than that . . . My baserunning was terrible today, but we won the game."
Manager Terry Collins said he talked to his shortstop about the importance of sound basepath judgment after Reyes made his first mistake.
"He knows better on both accounts," Collins said. "He got caught sleeping the first time and the second time . . . He tried to create something that wasn't there. But he knows better. We discussed it. You might see it again sometime -- trying to go to third on a ball like that. But I bet you'll never see him picked off again at first base."
Explaining his decision to go to third base in the seventh inning, Reyes said he thought Wright's grounder was going to be in the hole but the shortstop was there.
"There was no reason for me to go to third base there," Reyes said. "Like I said, bad baserunning . . . So hopefully, it doesn't happen again."
