The Mets beat the waiver trade deadline Wednesday night, acquiring right-handed reliever Fernando Salas from the Angels for minor league righty Erik Manoah.
Salas is 3-6 with a 4.47 ERA in 58 games (56 ¹/₃ innings), but has four saves and a 2.93 ERA since the All-Star break. Salas is 19-21 with a 3.71 ERA in seven seasons.
To make room for Salas on the 40-man roster, outfielder Justin Ruggiano was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
Manoah, 20, was 5-5 with a 5.37 ERA in 13 games for Single-A Brooklyn.
Jeurys Familia took over as the Mets’ single-season saves leader with his 44th in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Marlins. He surpassed his total from a year ago and also the 43 hung up by Armando Benitez is 2001.
“I just say ‘thank you’ to everybody in this room, my teammates, the coaches,” said Familia, who worked a perfect ninth. “The key for me is just doing my job day-to-day and not trying to do too much.”
Manager Terry Collins spoke highly of his closer and noted the Mets are in the thick of the race because of him.
“He has been at times absolutely dominant,” the manager said. “He has learned to take the tough times and slough them off as part of baseball and been able to bounce back. We’re in the hunt now because of him. We got to the World Series last year because of him. I’m real proud of him.”
Kelly Johnson said he is not surprised by anything Wilmer Flores does.
“I have never not seen Wilmer do what he’s doing. In spring training when we played them in Atlanta, he’d get a hit. Last year when I got over here is when he turned it on and when I got over here this year is when he turned it on,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if I’m his good luck charm or what.”
Like last year, the final month of the major league season is hit-or-sit time for the Mets. Collins made that clear. He was talking about the roster call-ups, including Michael Conforto, who are due to arrive Thursday. Collins said he wants to “find ways to get [Conforto] in the lineup.” And if he hits, he’ll stay put.
“We have reached the point where we did last year where we said, ‘You hit, you play.’ That’s where we’re at.” Collins said explaining the reasoning to Wednesday’s lineup that contained Flores starting against a righty and Curtis Granderson batting fourth. “Those guys are hitting. Jay [ Bruce ] took some good swings [Tuesday] night. If he’s breaking out of it, now is the time.”
Flores hit a two-run home run in the second inning Wednesday for the Mets’ first runs, Granderson walked three times and scored twice and Bruce went 2-for-4.
“We’re fighting tooth and nail to get in the postseason and right now, as much as I’m a development guy, there’s a time and a place,” Collins said. “We fall out of it, it’s a little different situation.”
Also joining the Mets along with Conforto from Triple-A Las Vegas will be catcher Kevin Plawecki, infielder Ty Kelly, and righty Gabriel Ynoa.
Also back Thursday from a mini-hiatus will be Jacob deGrom who had his scheduled start skipped Monday to give him a little extra rest in case his two previous outings, both clunkers (9 ²/₃ innings, 25 hits, 13 earned runs), resulted from fatigue. Collins was asked if the extra rest would be a difference-maker.
“We’ll find out,” Collins said. “I don’t have an answer for that. If I did, I’d leave this job and be an expert somewhere else.”
The Little League World Series champions from Endwell, N.Y., were honored at Citi Field with a proclamation by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and by meeting the Mets on the field during batting practice.
“This amazing. Just winning and being here,” said youngster Jayden Fanara of the suburban Binghamton team, the first New York team to win the Little League World Series since Mid-Island from Staten Island in 1964. Manager Scott Rush threw out the ceremonial first pitch.