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One of the few bright spots in the Mets' 11-5 loss to the last-place San Diego Padres on Thursday was third baseman David Wright.

Wright continued his torrid pace by going 3-for-5 on the night, upping his batting average to a major league-leading .405.

He had a double in the first inning, and a single in the eighth. But the biggest hit was his two-run blast over the center-field wall in the sixth, his fifth home run of the year.

"He’s in a zone like none other," said manager Terry Collins after the game.

Wright, for one, isn't caught up in his batting average right now. "It's May," said Wright. "It’s really, really early, so you can’t get caught up in looking up at the [scoreboard].

"The important categories are I wanna be able to drive runs in and score runs. Those are things that don’t fluctuate. Once you drive in a run and score a run, that never goes away. Batting average is gonna fluctuate, go up and down depending on whether you’re a little lucky that night or not."

ANOTHER POSITIVE: Ike Davis was not in the starting lineup, but he did get to pinch-hit in the eighth inning and laced a single into right field, driving in two runs.

This was his first at-bat since Collins informed Davis that he was not in danger of being demoted to Triple-A, despite entering Thursday's game batting just .159 on the season.

"I thought Ike was certainly being himself today," Collins said after the game. "I only talked to him briefly, a little bit on the field, but I had three or four people tell me today that they thought he was a different person today, personality-wise. And the intent was to try to ease off a little bit and let him take a deep breath and get himself thinking about what he’s gotta do to be successful, and not what’s hanging over his head."

"In [batting practice] I was hitting balls on the line that were going out of the ballpark. I hadn’t done that really all year," Davis said. "It’s a positive, but I still have a long way to get back, and just have to keep grinding it out."

ANOTHER INJURY? Ramon Ramirez, the only Mets pitcher to not give up a run on the night, may have injured himself before leaving the game.

"I’m hoping that Ramon’s OK," Collins said. "I saw him come off the mound, he was limping going to first base, covering first base, so I wanna go check on him."

There is no further update on Ramirez at this time.

Ramirez pitched 1-1/3 innings on Thursday night, giving up no runs on one hit, with two strikeouts.

On the season, Ramirez has a 4.07 ERA in 20 appearances and 25-2/3 innings pitched.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Mets open up their longest homestand of the season (11 games) with a loss to the Padres, the second-worst team in the National League record-wise.

New York falls to 24-21 on the season -- 2-1/2 games behind first-place Washington -- while San Diego improves to 17-29.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: The Mets' Jeremy Hefner made the first start of his major league career, and it didn't go very well. To be fair, Hefner had to endure a 68-minute rain delay after pitching two scoreless innings to start the game. But once he got back on the mound, he was shelled by the third-worst hitting team in the major leagues. (The Padres' No. 5 through No. 9 hitters Thursday night were all batting .171 or lower coming into the game.)

All told, Hefner lasted just 3-2/3 innings on the night, giving up six runs on nine hits, with three strikeouts and no walks. We'll have to wait and see whether manager Terry Collins gives him another chance in five days, or looks for another option to plug into the rotation.

THE REST OF THE WAY: Ramon Ramirez, Manny Acosta and Robert Carson handled the final 5-1/3 innings for the Mets. Acosta surrendered three more runs in his two innings of work, his ERA ballooning to 10.97. Carson allowed a run in the eighth, and another one in the ninth.

The Padres entered the game batting .220 as a team, but scored a season-high 11 runs on a season-high 18 hits Thursday night.

BRIGHT SPOTS: Two of the Mets' three runs came on David Wright's fifth home run of the season, a blast to dead-center field in the sixth inning. Wright also had a double in the first inning and a single in the eighth, upping his batting average to a major league-leading .405.

Also, Ike Davis -- who found out yesterday that he's not in danger of being demoted to Triple-A, despite his .159 batting average entering Thursday night's game -- pinch-hit in the eighth inning and laced a two-RBI double to right field.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Mets have three more cracks at the Padres over Memorial Day weekend. On Friday night at 7:10 p.m., Dillon Gee (3-3, 5.44 ERA) will be on the mound for the Mets, opposed by fellow righty Anthony Bass (2-4, 2.89 ERA) for the Padres.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Mets split a six-game road trip to Toronto and Pittsburgh with a 3-1 rubber-game victory against the Pirates on Wednesday afternoon along the shores of the Allegheny River.

Frank Francisco produced a 1-2-3 inning for a save for the second straight day.

HOW NICE: Coming off an outing in Toronto to open the road trip in which he matched a career high by allowing eight runs, Jon Niese took a scoreless effort into the sixth inning. He then allowed a leadoff double by Josh Harrison and one-out RBI single by Andrew McCutchen that pulled the Pirates within 3-1. Niese held the line there that frame, though, coaxing a 6-4-3 double play from Neil Walker.

Niese departed with two out and two runners aboard in the eighth after walking Gorkys Hernandez. Bobby Parnell entered to face McCutchen, and catcher Rob Johnson tried to catch Hernandez straying too far off first base. Johnson’s snap pickoff attempt was missed by first baseman Ike Davis, and an E-3 was charged as both runners advanced.

Parnell made it immaterial by striking out McCutchen on a 98 mph fastball to strand the two runners in scoring position and preserve a two-run lead.

Niese’s final line: 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. It was his longest outing since also going 7 2/3 innings on Aug. 11, 2011 against the San Diego Padres.

PIRATE CASTAWAY: The Pirates declined a $3 million option on Ronny Cedeno last offseason and instead signed Clint Barmes to serve as their shortstop. Cedeno then settled for a $1.1 million contract and backup role with the Mets. He got a little payback against his former club this week. Cedeno went 5-for-10 during the three-game series while manning shortstop in place of soon-to-be-returning Ruben Tejada. Tejada (quadriceps) appeared in his first extended spring training game Tuesday.

MR. .400: David Wright briefly dipped under .400 after being retired in his first two at-bats Wednesday. Wright then delivered an RBI double against Charlie Morton in the fifth inning that staked the Mets to a 3-0 lead. But after striking out in his fourth AB to finish 1-for-4, Wright’s average ended the trip at .399.

It’s the first time Wright completed a day under .400 since May 14.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis had preceded Wright’s fifth-inning at-bat with a sacrifice fly. The Mets had opened the scoring in the first inning on Lucas Duda’s RBI single.

IT’S A HIT: Davis, who entered the day mired in a 2-for-33 rut, singled in his first at-bat. He finished 1-for-4, striking out on a pitch in the dirt and well out of the strike zone in his final plate appearance.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Mets return to Citi Field for an 11-game homestand during which they face San Diego, Philadelphia and Carlos Beltran’s St. Louis Cardinals. Jeremy Hefner (0-1, 2.25 ERA), after two quality relief appearances, makes his first major league start in Thursday’s series opener against the Padres, opposite left-hander Eric Stults (0-0, 2.70). Hefner takes the slot formerly held by Miguel Batista, who landed on the DL on Sunday with a lower back or oblique strain.

R.A. Dickey struck out a career-high 11 batters before departing for a pinch hitter, Lucas Duda had a tiebreaking, two-out RBI single in the eighth and the Mets ultimately held on for a 3-2 win against the Pirates behind a three-up, three-down save from Frank Francisco on Tuesday night.

Wednesday's news reports:

• Dickey told Mike Puma in the Post that he would appreciate the front office already picking up his 2013 team option and talking about an extension beyond that. “I feel like the team is moving in the right direction, and I want to be a part of the solution," Dickey told Puma. "Now it’s up to them. If I’m in those plans, (addressing the contract) is one way to make it known." Dickey signed a two-year, $7.8 million deal during the 2010-11 offseason that includes a $5 million option for next year. The Mets signed Jon Niese on the eve of the season to a five-year, $25.5 million deal that includes two team options. Niese would not have been eligible for free agency until after the 2015 season.

• Terry Collins said it was not a comfortable decision to remove Dickey with the score tied at 1, but the Mets needed offense in the top of the eighth. Andres Torres ended up striking out as a pinch hitter to increase hit rut to 1-for-his-last-34, but the Mets scored two runs in the inning anyway. Dickey notched his MLB-leading sixth win, matching fellow National Leaguers Chris Capuano, Cole Hamels, Gio Gonzalez and Lance Lynn. Dickey did not record his sixth win until Aug. 29 last season. It's the earliest he ever has reached that mark. Read game recaps in the Star-Ledger, Times, Record, Newsday, Daily News and Journal.

• Ike Davis, who met with Collins before the series opener, described that chat to Puma in the Post as "the same (expletive) as I've been talking about for days." Davis went 0-for-4 Tuesday with two strikeouts as his average slipped to .156.

• Collins believes Torres, who did not start the game, is overswinging. Read more in Newsday, the Times, Record and Star-Ledger.

• Ruben Tejada (quadriceps) batted in an extended spring training game Tuesday, suggesting a return from the disabled list as soon as this weekend is realistic.

• David Wright went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Tuesday. His average now stands at .403. Can he finish above that .400 threshold? Obviously it's not the likelihood, but Collins believes Wright has enough speed to get infield singles and complement his power that at least there's a shot. Read more in the Daily News.

• Collin McHugh took a scoreless effort into the seventh inning in another solid start for Double-A Binghamton before getting ejected and Double-A Binghamton lost to New Britain, 3-0. Read the full minor league recap here.

TRIVIA: What number pick do the Mets have in the first round of next month's amateur draft?

Tuesday's answer: Jose Reyes owns the Mets record for most runs scored with the organization, at 735. David Wright is closing in, though. Wright has 728.

Recap | Box score | Photos

WHAT IT MEANS: Lucas Duda produced a two-out, tiebreaking RBI single and third baseman Pedro Alvarez's error on a would-be inning-ending grounder by Daniel Murphy resulted in another run in the eighth.

And the Mets ultimately held on to beat Pittsburgh, 3-2, Tuesday night at PNC Park.

Barely.

Jon Rauch surrendered a one-out double to Jose Tabata in the bottom of the eighth. And Tabata scored when Murphy, racing backward into right-center from second base, could not hold on to the baseball on an over-the-shoulder catch attempt on Andrew McCutchen's flare.

With the Mets leading by a run, Tim Byrdak entered. And although McCutchen reached scoring position with a steal, Byrdak bailed the Mets out yet again by striking out the lefty-hitting Alvarez to preserve the one-run lead. It was appearance No. 28 for Byrdak, putting him on pace for 98 this season.

Frank Francisco closed it out in the ninth in unusual 1-2-3 fashion.

AARGH: R.A. Dickey nursed a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning, when Josh Harrison delivered a one-out triple. McCutchen then had a sacrifice fly to even the score.

Terry Collins opted to pulled Dickey from the tie game in the top of the eighth, with the knuckleballer’s pitch count only at 88. Andres Torres pinch hit and struck out, extending his skid to 1-for-his-last-34.

Dickey recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts. He limited the Pirates to one run on five hits with no walks in seven innings.

WRIGHT WATCH: David Wright went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as his average dipped to .403. He left two runners on base in the eighth when he fanned against reliever Juan Cruz, before Duda came through with the two-out RBI single. Wright had struck out three times in a game on only one other instance this season -- April 30 at Houston against Bud Norris (twice) and Brandon Lyon.

NOT O-K: Ike Davis went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts -- both looking. He now has fanned 43 times in 141 at-bats. Davis is 2-for-his-last-33 with 11 strikeouts since homering against Miami's Mark Buehrle on May 11.

WHAT'S NEXT: Jon Niese (2-2, 4.85 ERA) opposes right-hander Charlie Morton (2-4, 4.35) in Wednesday's 12:35 p.m. series finale.

PITTSBURGH -- Mike Baxter will lead off and man left field as Andres Torres does, in fact, take a seat for Tuesday's game at Pittsburgh. Baxter last led off in 2010 with Triple-A Portland in the Padres system -- he did it three times that season.

David Wright, meanwhile, has the fourth-highest average among qualifiers through his team's first 42 games since 1980 -- .415. He only trails Paul O'Neill (.471, Yankees, 1994), Rod Carew (.441, Angels, 1983) and Barry Bonds (.423, Giants, 1993).

Mike Baxter, lf
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, cf
David Wright, 3b
Lucas Duda, rf
Daniel Murphy, 2b
Ike Davis, 1b
Ronny Cedeno, ss
Mike Nickeas, c
R.A. Dickey, rhp

WHAT IT MEANS: Johan Santana could not protect a four-run lead and the Mets dropped the ball in the eighth inning -- literally -- en route to 5-4 loss against Pittsburgh in Monday’s series opener.

Santana served up a game-tying two-run homer to No. 8 hitter Michael McKenry in seventh inning.

In the eighth, after each pinch-hitting in the top half, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Mike Baxter headed to the outfield. They miscommunicated on Neil Walker’s leadoff fly ball to left-center and Nieuwenhuis dropped it for a three-base error. Walker then scored the decisive run on a sacrifice fly by Clint Barmes against Jon Rauch narrowly ahead of a throw from right fielder Lucas Duda.

It was the second time this season Nieuwenhuis had a high-profile drop while manning center field. Against the Giants on April 21, Nieuwenhuis overran a ball to prolong the game, although the Mets salvaged that one, 5-4, on San Francisco miscues.

NOT WRIGHT: David Wright went 2-for-4 with a walk and RBI to lift his average to .415, but he also committed his second and third errors this season.

Wright’s RBI single had lifted the Mets to a 4-0 lead against Pirates starter Erik Bedard.

Neither error proved costly. With the bases loaded in the fourth inning shortly after Wright’s throwing miscue to first base, Santana coaxed a 6-4-3 DP to preserve a two-run lead. In the seventh, after Santana served up the game-tying two-run homer and a walk, Wright misfielded a grounder that advanced the potential go-ahead run into scoring position. But Bobby Parnell struck out Andrew McCutchen and Tim Byrdak fanned Pedro Alvarez to keep the score tied.

LEADING MAN? Andres Torres went 0-for-4 with a walk. He twice struck out and also popped out on a bunt. Torres is now hitless in 14 at-bats and 2-for-38 in his last 11 games. His eighth-inning fielder’s choice stranded the go-ahead run at third in the eighth.

OUT: Scott Hairston was pulled for the bottom of the sixth inning, with Vinny Rottino moving from first base to left field and Ike Davis entering the game.

It was not immediately known if that was a strategic move or Hairston needed to be removed.

Davis and Lucas Duda consecutively were retired in the top of the seventh inning with two runners aboard while facing lefty reliever Tony Watson as the Mets failed to build on a 4-2 lead at the time.

AHOY: Ronny Cedeno returned to Pittsburgh, where he had been the starting shortstop last season and hit .249. He went 2-for-4.

WHAT’S NEXT: R.A. Dickey (5-1, 3.76 ERA) opposes right-hander James McDonald (3-2, 2.68) on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.

The Mets salvaged the finale of their interleague series in Toronto, holding on for a 6-5 win when former Blue Jays closer Frank Francisco struck out three straight batters in the ninth after allowing a leadoff walk to Yunel Escobar, then single by Jose Bautista through the barren right side of the infield.

Monday's news reports:

• Miguel Batista landed on the DL on Sunday morning with a strained oblique or lower-back muscle. Jeremy Hefner is likely to start Thursday's game against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field in that rotation slot. Chris Schwinden was promoted for Sunday's game as a hedge against Dillon Gee having a short outing, but was not needed. The Mets plan to make another roster move before Monday's series opener in Pittsburgh to add a position player. Vinny Rottino -- who had a three-homer game for Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday -- would appear a logical choice to return to the major league roster. Schwinden is the easiest to return to Buffalo. Manny Acosta would be an alternative, but seemingly less likely choice to get dismissed to free the roster spot.

• Terry Collins for the first time Sunday morning allowed for the possibility of Ike Davis getting sent to the minors if his performance does not show improvement on this trip. Despite a seeming roster crunch looming with Ruben Tejada slated to begin rehab games as soon as today and Jason Bay due to take batting practice in Pittsburgh for the first time this afternoon, there are demotion candidates. Davis is one. And Kirk Nieuwenhuis' production considerably has slowed since the rookie's torrid start.

The added benefit of Nieuwenhuis returning to the minors is it could delay his free agency a year. If Nieuwenhuis were to stay at the major league level continuously, he would be eligible for free agency after his sixth season, during the 2017-18 offseason. If he logs a total of 20 days in the minors this year, he would not get credit for a full major league season in 2012 and would be delayed in free agency at least until the following winter -- 2018-19. Read more in the Daily News, Post and Newsday.

• Andy McCullough in the Star-Ledger writes about Davis' issues:

- He’s hitting too many grounders (50 percent of his balls in play before Sunday, according to FanGraphs.com). In the first inning, Davis hacked at a low, 91-mph sinker and tapped the ball back to Alvarez. With the bases loaded in the fifth, he rolled a fastball into what should have been a double play, except second baseman Kelly Johnson fumbled the exchange.

- His luck has been poor. In the fourth inning, Davis smashed a fastball toward the opposite field -- right into the glove of third baseman Yan Gomes. Entering Sunday's game, Davis was hitting line drives 17.4 percent of the time, or slightly better than 2011’s 17 percent mark. Except his batting average on balls in play was a miniscule .184, nearly 200 points below his career average. “He just needs those [line drives] to fall,” hitting coach Dave Hudgens said.

- He’s not drawing walks. Davis saw exactly three pitches in his first three at-bats Sunday.

• Regarding Nieuwenhuis, Barbara Barker writes in Newsday:

A week ago, he led all major-league rookies with a .302 batting average and was second with 35 hits. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and two walks in the Mets' 6-5 win Sunday and is now batting .277 with 38 hits, seven doubles, two home runs, 13 RBIs and 16 walks. "This kid doesn't deserve to go back to Triple-A with the way he's swung the bat so far," Buffalo manager Wally Backman said. "But he needs to play. I think for his development, he needs to play every day." Nieuwenhuis says he can't worry about what the future holds, other than to try to perform his best each day he plays. "It's been pretty cool playing up here with the guys," he said, "but whatever happens, happens. I don't make those decisions. I just have to take one day at a time and focus."

• David Wright returned from a day off Saturday and delivered a two-run double in the first inning as part of a 2-for-4 series finale that raised his average to .412. Wright, still sick, passed Jose Reyes for second on the franchise's all-time hit list with 1,302. He needs 116 more hits to match Mets record-holder Ed Kranepool.

• Mike Baxter had a career-high three hits Sunday while starting for the second straight game with the Mets using an extra position player in their lineup in the AL ballpark. Collins pledged to find Baxter playing time in Pittsburgh, although the manager said not at first base yet, and not on Monday against Pirates left-hander Erik Bedard. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Gee had a new look and better results. Read more in the Post.

• Read game recaps in the Record, Times, Daily News, Journal, Newsday and Post.

• Collins reiterated Jenrry Mejia is far more likely to help the Mets as a reliever at the major league level in 2012. Read more in Newsday.

• Tim Kurkjian catches up with hot-hitting ex-Met Carlos Beltran at ESPN.com. Kurkjian notes Beltran is two steals shy of 300 swipes and 300 homers in his career, a club that is currently limited to Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez, Andre Dawson, Bobby Bonds, Reggie Sanders and Steve Finley. Writes Kurkjian:

If it weren't for Matt Kemp, Beltran, 35, would be the most valuable player in the National League six weeks into the season. If it weren't for the remarkable Josh Hamilton, May would have been all about Beltran. Not only has he replaced the 2011 production of Albert Pujols in the Cardinals' lineup, he has greatly exceeded it while helping take St. Louis to the front of the National League Central, all while dazzling his new teammates. "When I ran out on the field with him the first time in spring training,'' said Cardinals third baseman David Freese, "I knew he was the most complete player I'd ever played with.''

Lance Berkman, who also was Beltran's teammate during that prolific 2004 postseason with Houston that set up Beltran's seven-year, $119 million contract with the Mets told Kurkjian: "It's funny. An elite player has some things happen to him for three or four years, like injuries, then he becomes an elite player again, and people ask, 'What's going on here?' Just look at the back of his baseball card. He is as complete a player as I've ever played with. He does everything well, and he looks good doing it. When you look at what a player is supposed to do, he's about as good as it gets.''

• Corey Wimberly stole home for Buffalo's lone run in a 4-1 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday. It was the second time a Mets farmhand has swiped home this season. Wimberly had a pure steal of the plate, while Binghamton's Josh Rodriguez stole home on April 21 as part of a double-steal. Read Sunday's full minor league recap here.

• Forty-thousand Orthodox Jews packed Citi Field on Sunday to decry the internet. Read more in the Daily News.

• Michael Howard Saul in the Journal revealed that Citi Field, now in its fourth season, still does not have all its full permits from the city in order. Mayor Michael Bloomberg at last week's All-Star Game press conference dismissed the issue as procedural and insignificant and insisted the stadium was safe. Wrote Saul, alluding to the City Hall announcement about next season's Mid-Summer Classic:

Unmentioned was the embarrassing fact that the three-year-old stadium in Queens still hasn’t received a certificate of occupancy from the city. The stadium has a temporary certificate, which means it is “safe and legal to occupy,” said Tony Sclafani, a spokesman for the Department of Buildings, in an email.

TRIVIA: For which former Pirate Pirate is the yellow bridge spanning the Allegheny River adjacent to PNC Park named?

Sunday's answer: Jason Bay was the last Pirate to have a multi-homer game against the Mets. At Shea Stadium on July 24, 2007, Bay went deep off John Maine and Guillermo Mota.

TORONTO -- David Wright did more than downplay grabbing sole possession of second place on the Mets’ all-time hits list Sunday, which he accomplished with a two-run double in the first inning.

Wright insisted he was unaware that he entered the game tied with ex-teammate Jose Reyes with 1,300 hits apiece in a Mets uniform.

“I didn’t even know,” Wright said. “Obviously getting hits is a good thing. Hopefully there’s a lot more to come.”

Wright, who already has passed Darryl Strawberry for the franchise’s career RBI record this season, sits at 1,302 hits after a 2-for-4 series finale in Toronto that lifted his average to .412.

Ed Kranepool has the franchise record with 1,418 -- at least for a little bit longer.

If Wright continues at this at-bat rate -- 131 ABs through 41 games -- he would need to hit .300 during his remaining at-bats (116-for-387) to match Kranepool in Game No. 162 this year.

Wright’s production for most of the season has come with a broken right pinkie. As of late, he also has dealt with a severe cold that left him unavailable to even pinch-hit Saturday. Ike Davis and Bobby Parnell also currently are under the weather with the flu or a similar malady that is making the rounds through the clubhouse.

“I feel a little bit better,” Wright said. “My last few days I’ve just been fairly achy -- your (whole) body. Today that’s gone down a little bit. So hopefully a short flight tonight and I’ll get some rest.”

WHAT IT MEANS: The weekend wasn’t a total loss, at least. In their first visit to Toronto in six years, the Mets salvaged the series finale, beating the Blue Jays, 6-5, Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

Barely.

Bobby Parnell surrendered a pair of eighth-inning runs, including an RBI single to Colby Rasmus that snapped the ex-Cardinal’s 0-for-20 skid, as Toronto rallied to within a run. But Tim Byrdak made his 24^th appearance in 41 games to retire lefty-hitting Kelly Johnson on a flyout to right field and end that frame.

In the ninth, ex-Blue Jays closer Frank Francisco, who was loudly jeered upon entering, closed things out despite a leadoff walk to Yunel Escobar and ensuing single by Jose Bautista that placed the winning run on base with none out. Francisco struck out the next three batters.

WELCOME BACK: After scheduled day off, and with his illness having somewhat improved, David Wright delivered a two-run double in the first inning against Jays right-hander Henderson Alvarez. It was hit No. 1,301 of Wright’s career, which passed ex-teammate Jose Reyes for sole possession of second on franchise’s all-time list. Ed Kranepool has the highest hit total as a Met for now: 1,418. Wright now stands at 1,302. He finished Sunday’s game 2-for-4 with a walk, albeit with an eighth-inning strikeout that stranded the bases loaded and kept the score 6-3. His average now stands at .412.

(Wright wasn’t solely at fault for a scoreless eighth. Ike Davis doubled and advanced to third on a passed ball, but was thrown out at the plate on a pitch that similarly eluded catcher J.P. Arencibia.)

BAXTER BURNING: Mike Baxter, starting for a second straight game with the pitcher not batting in the American League ballpark, went 3-for-4 with a walk. He fell a homer shy of producing the second cycle by a Met this season (Scott Hairston at Colorado on April 27, in an 18-9 loss). Baxter’s hit total achieved a career high, and lifted his average to .390, in 41 at-bats. Baxter even was the subject of taunts from fans in the left-field stands.

After being deprived of a would-be ninth-inning double Saturday with an incorrect out call at second base, Baxter doubled and tripled in the first two inings Sunday while starting in left field. The latter extra-base hit scored Ronny Cedeno and staked the Mets to a 4-0 lead.

GEE MINOR: Clean-shaven Dillon Gee completed 6 2/3 innings and notched his first win since April 28 at Colorado. He departed after an RBI single by Jose Bautista pulled the Jays within 6-3. Parnell entered and stranded Bautista by coaxing a fielder’s choice groundout by Edwin Encarnacion.

Gee’s final line: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HBP. He threw 113 pitches (67 strikes). He surrendered a third-inning solo homer to Bautista that pulled the Jays within 4-2 at the time.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Mets, in businesslike attire, head through customs and travel to Pittsburgh. Johan Santana (1-2, 2.89 ERA) opposes left-hander Erik Bedard (2-5, 3.07) in Monday’s 7:05 p.m. opener.

TORONTO -- David Wright reported feeling slightly better Sunday and Terry Collins placed him back in the lineup after a day off. Andres Torres will serve as the designated hitter. Collins reasoned that Torres has a history of leg trouble, so keeping him off the artificial turf makes sense.

Andres Torres, dh
Mike Baxter, lf
David Wright, 3b
Lucas Duda, rf
Daniel Murphy, 2b
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, cf
Ike Davis, 1b
Ronny Cedeno, ss
Rob Johnson, c

Dillon Gee, rhp

Brandon Morrow tossed a three-hit shutout and the Mets lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 2-0, Saturday at Rogers Centre. Dillon Gee starts Sunday's 1:07 p.m. game, trying to prevent the Amazin's from getting swept north of the border.

Regarding the Mets' offense, Terry Collins said, the Mets can't be patient to a fault in driving up pitch counts.

"We’ve got to start grinding out some at-bats," Collins said. "It goes back to exactly what we talked about a couple of weeks ago, and that's: It’s not about taking pitches. It’s about being patient, and when you get the pitch you want, hit it. Brandon was in the strike zone today. He was making good pitches early in the count. And we're down early, 0-1, 0-2. I don’t want these guys to think they've got to go up there and just take the good pitches they can hit."

Sunday's news reports:

• Miguel Batista was forced to leave Saturday's game after tossing two scoreless innings because of a pulled muscle in his lower back. Jeremy Hefner, promoted from Triple-A Buffalo, entered in relief and limited the Jays to two runs in five innings but was charged with the loss. Chris Schwinden will arrive Sunday in Toronto as a taxi-squad member, and presumably has a good chance of being activated as a hedge against Gee having a short outing, with Batista landing on the DL.

Jordany Valdespin had been demoted before Saturday's game to make room for Hefner. Valdespin will play second base with the Bisons. The Mets will promote a position player before Monday's game in Pittsburgh, Collins indicated. Collins said Hefner would start in Batista's place Thursday at Citi Field if the 41-year-old right-hander lands on the DL. Read more in Newsday, the Record, Star-Ledger and Post.

• Mike Baxter was ruled out at second base in the ninth inning on an apparent blown call. Had Baxter been credited with a double, the Mets would have had two runners in scoring position with one out in the ninth, trailing by two runs. Read more in the Post.

• Read game recaps in the Post, Times, Star-Ledger, Newsday, Record and Daily News.

• There's no indication Ike Davis is in imminent danger of a demotion. But the number of notable names getting demoted is, well, notable. First, the Braves sent Jair Jurrjens to Triple-A Gwinnett. First baseman Adam Lind is reportedly on waivers for the purpose of being removed from the 40-man roster and demoted by the Blue Jays. And, now, first baseman Gaby Sanchez, who was hitting .197 with one homer with Miami, has been demoted too. “We don’t think he’s a .190 hitter,” Marlins GM Michael Hill told the Miami Herald about Sanchez, an All-Star last season. “We think he’s better than he’s showing here. We think he’s pressing. We want to take some of the pressure off him, get him down to Triple-A, and get him right.” Davis is hitting .160 after going 0-for-3 Saturday in Toronto.

• Pedro Beato began an official rehab assignment Saturday night with Class A St. Lucie, tossing two scoreless innings. He is on the 60-day DL because of a shoulder issue that arose during spring training. Jenrry Mejia, meanwhile, allowed one run on six hits while striking out three and walking none in three innings for Double-A Binghamton. He threw only 48 pitches in his first Double-A start since Tommy John surgery, but Sandy Alderson said that roughly was the prescribed length. Mejia had higher pitch counts in two previous starts for St. Lucie. Also Saturday, Vinny Rottino had three homers for Triple-A Buffalo. Read the Saturday's full minor league recap here.

• David Wright was sicker Saturday than the previous day and was unavailable. Still, he already has informed Collins he wants to play Sunday. Read more in the Daily News.

• Anthony McCarron pens a feature in the Daily News celebrating Wright's leadership by example. Regarding Wright bickering with Collins in the dugout because he wanted to remain in Tuesday's game against Milwaukee to get drilled as payback for D.J. Carrasco hitting Ryan Braun, Ron Darling said: “I think there were probably people on the bench who didn’t understand what the hullabaloo was about at all and were taught a valuable lesson. 'What? Get hit? Who wants to get hit?’ He basically said, 'I know how the game is played and I know what we have to do in certain situations and I’m willing to do that.' David is one of those rare current players who could’ve played in any generation. There is a real courage in the way he plays the game. Guy played three weeks with a back that was broken last year, hits a homer with a broken finger because he knows his team needs him. I watch him play, and it makes me proud that I was part of the fraternity.”

• Collins believes Ruben Tejada (quadriceps) could be in a minor league rehab game as soon as Monday. Jason Bay (fractured rib) may take batting practice that day in Pittsburgh. Chris Young, who took a brief break with his wife due to give birth, is expected to resume his comeback with Class A St. Lucie on Friday. It will be Young's third minor league start with the Florida State League club since May 16, 2011 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his right shoulder.

• David Lennon in Newsday reviews the early impact of the wall changes at Citi Field. He notes Gee's amusement at hearing during the trip to Miami's new ballpark about Marlins players already expressing discontent with the cavernous dimensions. As a result of the Citi Field changes, there have been 10 additional homers this season that would have remained in play under the old configuration -- six by opponents, four by the Mets (Kirk Nieuwenhuis 2, Lucas Duda, Wright). "I enjoy it," Wright told Lennon. "Obviously, it's smaller, so I enjoy that. But it's tough, I guess, to describe the effect that it has because it's still relatively early. A lot of how the ball carries has to do with the weather, and the weather has been chilly, rainy and windy."

Still, Citi Field has not become a homer haven. Writes Lennon:

Through the first 20 home games, there have been 26 home runs hit at Citi Field, and that frequency of 1.3 per game is tied (with Wrigley Field) for 13th-best in the National League . Only AT&T Park (0.84), PETCO Park (0.96) and Marlins Park (1.24) had produced fewer. Before Citi's changes are deemed inconsequential, however, consider this: According to ESPN Home Run Tracker, 10 home runs needed the new dimensions to clear the walls, and if there were only 16 home runs to this point, that drops the average rate to a minuscule 0.80 -- the lowest in either league. "It's only a small sample size," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "But at the same time, that's still a dramatic impact."

Jeff Wilpon told Lennon: "It doesn't look like a sore thumb sticking out, in the terms of the changes that we made. I think it's been very successful in that sense. We knew it wouldn't make a huge difference -- we wanted it to be a moderate difference. ... I wish we were hitting more home runs, either with the benefit of the changes or without the benefits."

• Tyler Kepner in the Times pays homage to Chipper Jones, who is due to retire at season's end. Writes Kepner:

In Chicago, the Cubs gave him a Braves flag that flew above the scoreboard at Wrigley Field. In Denver, the Rockies gave him a camera to mount on his hunting bow. The Houston Astros gave him a cowboy hat, and the St. Louis Cardinals presented a jersey signed by Stan Musial. “It was really cool in St. Louis when he came up to bat,” Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel said. “They kind of stopped the game. They were already losing in the first inning, but he came up to bat and got a standing ovation.”

Jones told Kepner about last year's Braves historic collapse relative to the team's current success (25-16, first place): "It’s really gratifying because the guys went home in the offseason and used what happened in September as a motivational tool. I’ve said this all along: If we end up winning an Eastern Division championship or a National League championship or a World Series in the next couple of years, I guarantee you all these players will look back at September and say we learned a lot.”

• Critic Bob Raissman in the Daily News praises Collins as a straight shooter. Writes Raissman:

While The Prince of Darkness, John Tortorella, continues perfecting his mummified style, Terry Collins is out in Queens shedding light. The Mets manager will never be cast as Mr. Sunshine. He illuminates by speaking the truth. That’s why the media rarely has a discouraging word about him. Of all the head mouths in town, Collins is the straightest shooter.

• Columnist Jeff Bradley in the Star-Ledger compares the 1993 Yankees to the 2012 Mets in terms of success despite low expectations. Warning: extensive Paul O'Neill quoting.

TRIVIA: Who was the last Pittsburgh Pirate to have a multi-homer game against the Mets?

Saturday's answer: Mike Jacobs was traded to Toronto for a player to be named or cash in the last swap between the Mets and Jays, on July 30, 2010.

TORONTO -- Miguel Batista suffered a lower-back strain delivering a full-count cutter to Eric Thames in the second inning of Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays and could be headed to the disabled list.

Terry Collins said Jeremy Hefner, who tossed five quality innings in relief of Batista, definitely would take the rotation turn in five days against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field if Batista is unable.

Chris Schwinden will join the Mets as part of the taxi squad on Sunday. He will be activated to serve as a safety net backing up starter Dillon Gee if Batista lands on the DL, or if the Mets otherwise make a bullpen maneuver.

Batista saw a Toronto doctor and said he was informed he suffered a “minor pull.” He felt the injury on every ensuing pitch. He initially took the mound for the bottom of the third, but did not face a batter that inning.

“It felt funny,” Batista said about the pitch to Thames. “And after that, I felt it every pitch.”

Batista added that this injury was unrelated to his recent groin troubles. His lower back remained “a little sore” after the game.

Hefner left Buffalo, home of the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday with Port St. Lucie, Fla.-based, minor league equipment coordinator Jack Brenner, who was visiting Bisons manager Wally Backman on Friday night and already planning to see the major league club on Saturday. Hefner arrived in Toronto two hours later with a couple of days’ worth of clothes; he left his remaining belongings in his truck back in Buffalo.

“I’m disappointed in that one inning. I got out of my mechanics a little bit and left a few balls up and they got a couple of runs,” said Hefner, who surrendered two runs in five innings. “I got a few strikeouts and just tried to keep the ball down and make them hit it into the ground. It’s a quick field, so [if] they get it in the gaps, it’s extra bases for sure.”

The Mets planned to remove a pitcher from the active roster after the weekend to restore the bench to five position players for a National League game Monday in Pittsburgh. If Batista lands on the DL and Hefner slides into the rotation, that frees the roster spot potentially without a difficult decision (with Schwinden returning to the Bisons after the cameo).

• David Wright was unavailable Saturday, Collins said. The third baseman has asked to start Sunday, but Collins said he will reserve a decision until the morning.

• Jenrry Mejia allowed one run on six hits while striking out three and walking none in three innings for Double-A Binghamton. It was his first minor league start at that level, and third overall, since Tommy John surgery on May 16, 2011. Mejia threw only 48 pitches, but GM Sandy Alderson said the right-hander was due to be capped at 50 to 60 pitches and there was nothing wrong.

• Chris Young, who had his comeback interrupted with his wife due to give birth, will next pitch for Class A St. Lucie on Friday -- 10 days after his last appearance.

On his ESPN.com blog, Jayson Stark writes that other teams fully expect David Wright to be in the free-agent market after the 2013 season, forcing the Mets to deal him beforehand.

Writes Stark:

If Wright hits the free-agent market after 2013, at age 31, the only other third basemen out there will be Michael Young (at age 37), Martin Prado (just a year younger than Wright) and Mark Reynolds. Puts him in a pretty good bargaining position. Wouldn't you say? "It's pretty simple," said one longtime baseball insider. "There are almost no [star-caliber] third basemen in the game. And there will be none in the marketplace." So the bottom line is this: Other clubs would be shocked if the Mets can get Wright signed before he reaches free agency. Which means they'll have almost no choice but to actively explore trading him this winter.

My gut remains that there's a strong likelihood Wright remains a lifelong Met, even if it does reach that free-agency period. I believe the Mets will be forced to pony up; otherwise, they might as well relocate the franchise from New York.

David Wright, who has a scheduled day off Saturday with the Mets in a 20-games-in-20-day stretch, actually is feeling sicker Saturday than the previous day. Terry Collins said the illness could keep Wright out of Sunday's lineup.

One thing is clear, though: Wright does not like DH'ing because it takes him out of the rhythm at the plate. So Collins said Wright will man third base if he's able to play in the series finale. Wright is available to pinch hit, the manager said.

• The Mets will restore the bench to five position players before Monday's game in Pittsburgh, when the DH is no longer in effect.

Collins said right-hander Jeremy Hefner, who joined the Mets on Saturday in place of Jordany Valdespin, will not necessarily make a U-turn to Buffalo at that point. That suggests there may be at least some consideration about whether Manny Acosta still merits a roster spot. Acosta's ERA swelled to 10.53 on Friday.

"We'll have a decision to make at that point," Collins said in response to an inquiry about whether Hefner returns to Triple-A after the weekend. Hefner had returned to the Bisons immediately after tossing three scoreless innings in his major league debut against the San Francisco Giants last month.

Valdespin is 2-for-20, albeit with a dramatic pinch-hit, three-run homer against Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, at the major league level. A natural infielder, he mostly had played center field in minor league games this season. Now, though, Valdespin is due to focus on second-base work at Buffalo. That position is open with the Bisons with Bobby Scales having bolted for Japan.

Collins does not see Valdespin as a major league shortstop. That's largely because he has not worked enough in the minors at that position, according to the manager.

If the Mets needed a bona fide shortstop in the future, Collins said, the best Triple-A choice would be ex-Rockie/Ranger Omar Quintanilla. Still, the manager added, Quintanilla is not on the 40-man roster. And the Mets would not necessarily risk losing a minor leaguer through waivers a open 40-man roster spot for Quintanilla.

• Ruben Tejada could be back by the end of Memorial Day weekend. Tejada (strained quadriceps) is due to run in a straight line today and could be in minor league rehab games by Monday. Jason Bay (fractured rib) will hit off a tee today and swing at soft-toss flips Sunday. On Monday in Pittsburgh, the Mets will request permission from team doctors for Bay to begin taking at least light batting practice. Collins expects Tejada to return before Bay.

• Three umpires disappeared between innings early in Friday's game, delaying Jon Niese beginning an inning. There was good reason: Their uniforms and work gear had finally arrived. There are extra umpire uniforms at each major league stadium, but ump Wally Bell had to borrow black cleats from the Mets.

• Daniel Murphy, despite a .331 average, is homerless. Collins says he probably doesn't see Murphy producing more than a dozen homers in any season, saying his swing is geared for line drives.