Remembering Mets History (2008) Jose Reyes Sets Mets All Time Triples Mark

Sunday July 20th, 2008: Jerry Manuel's Mets (53-46) had just dropped the last two games in Cincinnati after coming off their season best ten game win streak. They had begun July a disappointing one game under .500 but were 12-4 in the month up to todays game.

During the Mets win streak Jose Reyes had hit .395, with four extra base hits, three stolen bases & five RBIs with six runs scored.

This afternoon 31,195 came out to the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati to play Dusty Baker's fourth place Reds (48-52).

The starters were the Mets Mike Pelfrey (8-6) & the Reds Edinson Volquez (12-3). 

In the top of the 1st inning Jose Reyes led off the game with a base hit. He advanced to second on a wild pitch & then scored a typical Reyes run on a Carlos Beltran base hit. 

In the top of the 2nd inning, with one out & one on Jose Reyes singled to left field for his second hit of the day. He would be left stranded at first base.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, the Reds, Adam Dunn hit a solo HR to put Cincy on the board.

In the top of the 3rd, Carlos Delgado collected a on out double down the right field line. Mets catcher Ramon Castro answered with his fourth HR of the season, a two-run shot putting New York up 3-1.

In the top of the 4th inning, Jose Reyes collected  his third hit of the night, as he tripled to right field. 

Mets Triples Record: For Reyes it was eleventh league leading triple of the season & more importantly it gave him his 63rd career triple, setting a new franchise mark passing Mookie Wilson (62) for Mets career triples.  

In his career, Jose Reyes went on to hit 113 triples in a Mets uniform. By far the most of any player in franchise history. Mookie Wilson is still second at 62 & Bud Harrelson a distant third with 45.

Two batters later Reyes scored on David Wright's sac fly making it a 4-1 Met lead. The RBI was Wright's team leading 76th, that year he would drive in a career best 124 runs.

In the bottom of the 4th, Mike Pelfrey had a bad inning issuing a double to Ken Griffey Jr. then an RBI single to Brandon Phillips & sac fly to Adam Dunn. Edwin Encarnacion then homered tying up the game.

In the bottom of the 6th, Brandon Phillips connected off Mike Pelfrey to put the Reds ahead 5-4.

In the top of the 7th, David Wright led off with a walk by Jeremy Affeldt, Wright then stole his 12th base of the year, taking second. Carlos Delgado singled into center field scoring Wright with his 57th RBI, to put New York ahead.

The game went into extra innings tied at five s Duaner Sanchez pitched two scoreless innings for the Mets.

In the top of the 9th, although the Mets loaded the bases, Francisco Cordero got Endy Chavez to ground out.

In the top of the 10th, pinch hitter Robinson Cancel led off with a double to left field off pitcher Billy Bray. 

Multi-Four Hit Game: Jose Reyes then dragged a bunt reaching with an infield hit. It was Jose's fourth hit of the game, his third multi-four hit game of the season. He would have four that year.

The next batter was Argenis Reyes, an infielder who played 58 games for New York over two seasons with no relation to Jose Reyes. Argenis hit a slow grounder to third base, Edwin Encarnacion committed a throwing error which led to Robinson Cancel to score & both  Reyes's being safe.

After David Wright was intentionally walked, Carlos Beltran struck out but Carlos Delgado's sac fly scored Jose Reyes & the Mets sealed their 7-5 win.

In the 10th inning, Billy Wagner struck out the side notching his 24th save.

Jose Trivia: That year Jose Reyes would lead the NL in triples for the third time. He would lead in that category four times in his career. Jose had four straight seasons with a dozen or more triples doing that six times in his career. 

Reyes also led the NL in hits (204) that year becoming just the second player in franchise history to have reached the 200 hit mark. In 1996 Lance Johnson had a franchise record 227 hits.