NEW YORK -- Had shortstop Wilmer Flores cleanly fielded a ninth-inning grounder from Jace Peterson with two runners on base and turned a game-ending double play, the New York Mets would have walked away with a 3-1 win against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Instead, Flores knocked the baseball down, picked it up and had to settle for forcing out Andrelton Simmons at second base.
With the game prolonged, relievers Hansel Robles and Alex Torres combined to allow two runs in the ninth as Atlanta forced extra innings. The Braves ultimately won the game, 5-3, in 11 innings.
"I did what I had to do -- knock it down. That's a hard-hit ball," Flores insisted.
Still, manager Terry Collins suggested that game-ending double play could have been executed.
"That's a double play. We've got a chance to get the game over," Collins said. "We didn't make the play. We've still got to get an out. We didn't get the next out."
Flores appeared agitated by postgame questions about the play. Asked if it was frustrating to fail to turn the double play, Flores responded: "Frustrating? It wasn't frustrating. I thought I did a good job trying to knock it down."
