With Wilmer Flores’s ongoing struggles in the field, Mets Manager Terry Collins decided to start Ruben Tejada for the second game in a row at shortstop on Sunday, allowing Flores time to “get his mind straight” as he said.
Tejada, while less of a threat offensively than Flores, is more sure-handed in the field. But a costly early miscue by Tejada had starter Dillon Gee working from behind all afternoon at Citi Field, and the Mets lost, 1-0, to the Washington Nationals for the second straight day.
After Denard Span led off the game with a walk, Yunel Escobar grounded to Dilson Herrera, who made a clean throw to second base for the force out, but Tejada did not cleanly transfer the ball from his glove.