Just Mets

Just ten days ago, Wilmer Flores was a goner, crying his eyes out at shortstop in front of the home crowd after hearing he along with Zack Wheeler had been traded to the Brewers for OF Carlos Gomez.

He was essentially an unwanted player after being put through the ringer in a failed experiment at shortstop, often times embarrassing himself as he play at the position he was destined to fail at while costing the Mets runs and games in the process.

But it was a deal that would fall through, perhaps serving as the greatest blessing for the Mets in 2015 in more ways than one.

Because of his emotional display, which clearly indicated his loyalty and devotion to an organization that had been his home for almost eight years, he won the hearts of Met fans all over the country.

Whenever he came out onto the field, people cheered. Whenever he entered the on-deck circle, people cheered. Whenever he’d go out to run before a game, people cheered.

He became a cult hero in a matter of minutes.

Two days after he was seen balling on the field, he came through with a game-winning home run against the Nationals in extra innings, completing a 48-hour stretch which demonstrated romance is indeed possible in baseball. He became an instant cult hero and arguably the most beloved player on the Mets roster in that span of time.

His following seemingly has grown exponentially in that time, and he has fed off the love the fans have given him as well.

Flores had posted an .843 OPS since the near-trade entering play against the Rays on Friday with three doubles and a home run in five games, recording a hit in each of his last three games.

On Friday, he came up to the plate in the ninth inning, after the Mets had already fought back to tie the score in each of the three prior innings.

And, he became a hero once again.

He blooped a single to right field to plate Michael Conforto which gave the Mets their first lead of the night, something they would not relinquish as they were en route to their seventh win in a row and expanding their lead in the National League East to 2 1/2 games.

“It wasn’t probably the best at-bat, but I was able to reach to that ball away and just dropped that ball out there,” Flores said afterwards.  “We never gave up. We were down three times, I think. That’s what good teams do.”

Sandy Alderson, the man who nearly decided to sacrifice Flores in an effort to improve the roster, is also caught in the fever.

“Unbelievable,” Alderson said in St. Petersburg after Friday night’s win. “As was the week before that.”

It is hard to believe for sure. A run like this after everything that has happened to the 24-year-old Flores can’t even be contemplated.

But it has happened, and Flores is enjoying the ride and the love from his inspired fan base.

“It’s awesome,” Flores said. “The support that I get, that we all get, it’s amazing.”

Flores helped the club make history on Friday night. It was the first time in franchise history that the Mets overcame three separate deficits in each of the final three innings to win a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“Tonight was pure character,” Collins said afterwards. “They kept coming at us, and we kept getting some big hits. I can’t say enough. They know it means something. They know these games are big.”

All night long, the Mets had been rolling snake eyes against the Rays. They hit several balls to the wall, all of which appeared would have enough carry off the bat, but they just died at the warning track. In fact, Flores himself nearly homered against Jake Odorizzi, but LF Grady Sizemore made a leaping catch over the wall in the left field corner to take the home run away.

The Rays, on the other hand, seemed to have the necessary carry, driving three solo home runs against the Mets, two against Jacob deGrom and one against Tyler Clippard.

It just seemed like it was going to be one of those nights for the Mets. It turns out, it was, only not the way anyone might have expected.

The Mets finally began to break through, starting with a game tying home run from Juan Uribe in the seventh, another game tying homer in the eighth from Daniel Murphy, and then the magical finish in the ninth inning, starting with Lucas Duda reaching base on a throwing error by Boxberger, and ending with the remarkable capper from Flores.

Two runs were in, the Mets did not look back, and the legend of Wilmer Flores grew even larger and more heroic in central Florida on Friday night.