Wilmer Flores, current Giant and former Met, still has lots of friends at Citi Field
San Francisco Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores tosses the ball to pitcher Logan Webb for the out on Cincinnati Reds' Jeimer Candelario at first during the sixth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Friday, May 10, 2024. Credit: AP/Jeff Chiu
Nine years after he cried at shortstop when he thought he had been traded to the Brewers, Wilmer Flores continues to have a warm relationship with Mets fans at Citi Field.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” said Flores, who started at first base for the Giants on Sunday. “I still feel the emotion. It’s nice when people like you.”
The rumored 2015 deal that was going to send Flores to Milwaukee for Carlos Gomez was eventually called off and the Mets traded for Yoenis Cespedes instead. Two days later, Flores hit a 12th-inning walk-off home run as the Mets went on to a World Series appearance.
Flores stayed with the Mets through the 2018 season before spending one year in Arizona and the last five with the Giants.
Still, Mets fans remember the tears and cheers.
“ 'We still miss you’ — I heard that like eight times yesterday,” said Flores, whose walk-up song is still "I'll Be There For You," the "Friends" theme song. “In the on-deck circle. While I was stretching. It’s really cool. Everyone knows what happened in 2015. I feel like they really appreciate when they see as a player that you really care about a team.”
Flores, who went 1-for-4 on Sunday and is batting .217, made his mark on Saturday with a leadoff single off Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning that led to the tying run in the Giants’ eventual 7-2, 10-inning victory.
Acuna sizzling
If the Mets don’t turn things around this season, you can expect to see their top prospects get called up sometime after the trade deadline.
That’s one reason it was noteworthy that Luisangel Acuna had four hits (three singles and a double) for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday.
After going 1-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored on Sunday, the 22-year-old Acuna’s average is .254. It was .216 on May 1.
“He got off to a rough start,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It says a lot for a young player playing on the Triple-A level that are going through struggles and they continue to fight and now that we're seeing results . . . There's been some adjustments with him, but basically sticking to his routine. It is important for him to go through those struggles and get through it and fight through it. You hate to see players get to the big-league level and never have to face adversity. So, for him to start getting results as of late is good to see.”
Acuna, the brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuna Jr., came to the Mets last July 30 from Texas in exchange for Max Scherzer. Acuna’s ultimate defensive position is yet to be determined. At Syracuse, the speedster (17 stolen bases) has started 23 games at shortstop, 13 at second base and 11 in centerfield.
Asked what Acuna needs to work on, Mendoza said: “Continue to get reps. Those game reps are important . . . Controlling the strike zone. Baserunning. Every area of his game, those reps are very, very valued, and we just need to continue to see that.”
Extra bases
David Peterson will be activated off the injured list to face the Dodgers on Wednesday in his first start of the season. Peterson underwent offseason hip surgery . . . Yoshinobu Yamamoto is not scheduled to pitch in the three-game series that starts Monday. Shohei Ohtani, who is batting .336 with 13 home runs, is playing through a hamstring injury . . . Former Mets and Yankees first baseman John Olerud visited Citi Field on Sunday.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
