PHILADELPHIA — Wilfredo Tovar had a major league debut he likely will never forget.
Three days after receiving a message in his native Venezuela that he was needed by the Mets, the 22-year-old shortstop delivered an RBI single against Cliff Lee in the seventh inning Sunday, helping his team take the lead in a 4-3 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Tovar’s single tied the game and the go-ahead run scored on the play when left fielder Domonic Brown booted the ball. Tovar finished 2-for-4.
“I’m just trying to make the most out of it,” Tovar said through a translator after the Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies.
With the Phillies leading 2-1 in the seventh and runners on second and third with one out, manager Terry Collins had the option of using David Wright to pinch hit for Tovar, but stuck with the rookie.
Collins gave Wright the day off and said he never considered veering from that plan.
“That’s a big at-bat and you know [Tovar] is going to get some fastballs,” Collins said. “That’s the one thing about Cliff: Cliff is not afraid to challenge anybody and he moves it from side to side … but I thought Wil did a nice job.”
With the Reds trying to win the NL Central and avoid the wild-card game, Collins expects an electric atmosphere at Great American Ballpark beginning on Monday.
“These games mean something, so when we get to Cincinnati I think it’s going to be fun,” Collins said. “It will be exciting for us to play against somebody who is really in the hunt. I’m just hoping all their adrenaline burns out so [Monday] they are a little flat, because they’ve got a good club.”
Mets rookies wore bridesmaids dresses — Zack Wheeler was the bride, adorned in white — as part of the team’s annual hazing on the final trip of the season. LaTroy Hawkins took credit for selecting Wheeler to be the bride. The bridesmaids wore purple.