NEW YORK -- Fans at Citi Field got to see very little of free-agent-to-be Jose Reyes on perhaps his final day as a Met.

Reyes, in the lead for the National League batting crown, delivered a bunt single to lead off the bottom of the first inning of the Mets' 3-0 win over the Reds. He then was pulled as New York Mets manager Terry Collins adhered to the shortstop's request to be removed if he singled. Some fans booed after realizing Collins had sent Justin Turner to pinch-run for Reyes.

Reyes' strategy paid dividends, as

Milwaukee's Ryan Braun went 0-for-4 to finish at .332, five points behind Reyes' .337. Reyes becomes the first player in Mets history to win a batting title, finishing the season with 181 hits in 537 at-bats.

"I just want to say I'm humbled and honored to win the batting title," Reyes said in a statement. "It means so much to my family and my country, the Dominican Republic. I have been through a lot over the past few years so this really means a lot to me. It's also very special to be the first Mets player to win a batting title. There have been so many great players throughout our history. I want to thank Terry Collins, my coaches and all my teammates and of course all the Mets fans who have always supported me and been behind me 100 percent."

Reyes said postgame the idea to leave after one successful at-bat was his own, not Collins' call.

"I respect whatever decision he decided to make, and ultimately he left the door open for me," Braun said before the Brewers' 7-3 win over Pittsburgh. "I know it's not impossible. I've gotten three hits in a game plenty of times. It's still attainable, still a possibility. If he had stayed in the game and gotten multiple hits, it would not have been a possibility at all. I respect whatever decision he decided to make, and I'm not really here to judge him."

An emotional Collins, fighting tears during his postgame media conference, said he worked hard in his first season at the Mets' helm to earn his players' respect and did not want to jeopardize it by not adhering to Reyes' wishes.