Mets' Jose Reyes Has Ultra-Slim Advantage For NL Batting Title
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Jose Reyes had a big night in the batting race.
Too bad he had a bad one on the bases.
Reyes finished 3 for 4 against the Reds on Monday with a sacrifice fly and a stolen base to raise his average to .334. Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun began the night at .333 before delivering a pinch-hit double against Pittsburgh and remaining in the game.
So it's Reyes with the ultra-slim advantage, .33396 to Braun's .33393, according to the New York Post.
No member of the Mets — or Brewers, for that matter — has won a batting crown.
"It's huge. It's huge for him. It's huge for everybody. It's huge for this organization to have a guy who can do that," New York manager Terry Collins said. "I'm pulling for him, for sure."
A sparse crowd, announced at 28,651, cheered when the big video board in center field showed that Reyes' second hit had tied him with Braun at .333.
"I can't lie to you when I see it on the scoreboard," Reyes said. "I don't want to put anything in my head, but no doubt I think about it with only two days left."
Collins said he might sit Reyes in the season finale Wednesday afternoon, depending on how he feels. However, Collins said the batting race could factor into his decision.
Reyes can become a free agent after the season and might be playing his final games with the Mets, who signed him when he was 16.
"Tomorrow and the next day are going to be tough for me," he said. "I can't let that go through my head. But like I said, I have to stay focused like always. I'm going to think about it, no doubt, but I don't know what's going to happen to me in the future."
His baserunning blunder in the eighth inning cost the Mets a chance to tie the game in their 6-5 loss.
Reyes lined an RBI double into the right-field corner to make it 6-5, a ball that he normally would turn into a triple without much trouble. But the Mets have instructed Reyes to take it easy on his legs after hamstring injuries landed him on the disabled list twice during the summer, so he cruised toward second base at half-speed and appeared caught in-between.
Perhaps expecting a throw to the plate that would allow him to take third, Reyes took a wide turn around second — much too far. The Reds threw behind him and he was easily tagged out.
Ruben Tejada followed with a single, then was caught stealing on a close play to end the inning.
"I went too far. I should have stayed there. I already was in scoring position," Reyes said. "I don't care about batting titles right now because we lost the game and I made a mistake running the bases and that cost us the game."
Will Reyes finish with the batting title? Make your prediction in the comments below...
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