The Mets told Wilmer Flores the starting shortstop job is open next year, and the young infielder might just win the job with his bat.
Flores homered twice and drove in six runs for the second time this year, Ruben Tejada capped a four-run fourth inning with a two-run double, and the Mets routed the Miami Marlins 9-1 on Tuesday night to end a three-game skid.
"I think what he's done offensively has helped him defensively," manager Terry Collins said of Flores, who has been knocked for his play in the field.
Just hours after Commissioner Bud Selig said he was impressed with the manner in which the Mets were rebuilding, the 23-year-old Flores hit a three-run shot in the fifth and a two-run drive in the seventh — both off reliever Brad Penny.
He also had an RBI double in the fourth as the Mets scored their most runs at home since they tallied 11 against the Phillies on July 30. After slowly developing the power stroke the organization thinks he is capable of providing, Flores is 8 for 15 with three homers and 10 RBIs in his last four games. He has six long balls overall.
"Maybe it takes a little more time for some people," Flores said about finding his swing against big leaguers. "I'm seeing the ball well right now."
Bartolo Colon (14-12) bounced back from his shortest outing of the year to pitch 7 2-3 innings for New York, allowing one run and a season-high 12 hits. The only extra-base hit was a double to Reed Johnson, who had three hits. He struck out seven without a walk.
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"I was able to execute at the right moment to get out of the big inning," the always smiling Colon said through a translator.
The Mets and Marlins each have 73 wins in the competition for third place in the NL East. New York has two more losses with 10 games to play. Miami, which outhit the Mets 13-12, has 12 games remaining.
The Mets must go 8-2 to avoid their sixth straight losing season.
Curtis Granderson had an RBI single among his three hits, and the Mets handed Nathan Eovaldi (6-12) his sixth straight losing decision over seven starts, dating to Aug. 13. Eovaldi yielded six runs and six hits over 4 1-3 innings.
Flores connected off Penny two batters after Eovaldi was pulled in the fifth. Flores also had six RBIs on June 2 at Philadelphia.
"He's in a career record for innings, so maybe he could be running out of gas. I don't know. The ball seems to still be coming out of his hands. He's just making mistakes," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said of Eovaldi. "He's making mistakes and they're making him pay."
Michael Taylor homered in his big league debut, setting off a silly sequence to retrieve the souvenir, and the Washington Nationals backed Doug Fister with four long shots Tuesday night in a 7-1 romp over the Mets.
Bryce Harper homered early, then Anthony Rendon, Ian Desmond and Taylor connected in the sixth inning as the NL East leaders won their ninth straight at Citi Field.
Promoted from Triple-A over the weekend, Taylor singled in his first at-bat and later hit a two-run drive the opposite way at one of the majors' most spacious parks.
A ball boy ran out to right field to pick up Taylor's home run ball, but mistakenly tossed it to a young fan in the stands. Alerted to his error, the ball boy and a couple of security guards quickly worked out a trade of another ball to reclaim the prize.
Taylor finished 2 for 4. The 23-year-old outfielder hit a combined .315 with 22 homers and 35 stolen bases in the minors this season, almost all of it at Double-A.
Fister (12-3) came back from a 25-minute rain delay and pitched seven shutout innings. He gave up seven hits, walked none and struck out three. Fister also hit a single for good measure after a 1-for-30 start at the plate this year.
Asdrubal Cabrera added two doubles and a single as the Nationals improved to 23-4 at Citi Field dating to 2011. The only Washington starter who didn't get on base was leadoff man Denard Span, ending his 14-game hitting streak and his string of reaching safely at 36 games.
Rafael Montero (0-3) was tagged for three homers and five runs in five-plus innings. He was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day after impressive rookie Jacob deGrom went on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis.
Mets star David Wright singled twice, giving him an 11-game hitting streak.
