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WHAT IT MEANS: Inserted at DH by Terry Collins, Jordany Valdespin had a career-high four RBIs, and the Mets bounced back from a Subway Series sweep. In their first regular-season visit to St. Petersburg since 2001, the Mets beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 11-2, Tuesday night at the Trop.

The scoring output was the Mets’ season high.

Valdespin’s two-run single in the fifth gave the Mets a 3-2 lead. Two innings later, he pushed the cushion to two runs with an RBI double down the first-base line against Rays starter Alex Cobb.

The Mets eventually produced six runs in the seventh -- their most in an inning this season -- as Daniel Murphy deposited a two-run single into shallow center field and Ike Davis belted a three-run homer against left-hander J.P. Howell.

Davis (2-for-4, BB) last homered May 11, against Miami’s Mark Buerhle. He had his first multi-hit game since May 9, although the first hit was a bunt single.

Valdespin also an RBI groundout in the eighth. The four RBIs matched the third-most by a Mets DH in franchise history. Carlos Delgado had nine RBIs against the Yankees in 2008, while Cliff Floyd had five RBIs against Texas in 2003. Bernard Gilkey also had four RBIs, against Baltimore in 1997.

STANDING TALL: Chris Young logged 5 2/3 innings in his second major league start since returning from May 16, 2011 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule.

In a 106-pitch effort, Young limited Tampa Bay to a pair of first-inning runs, despite overall surrendering nine hits and two walks while striking out four.

Young departed with a 3-2 lead and runner on first base. Jon Rauch, in his return to the mound following serving up Russell Martin’s game-ending homer Sunday in the Bronx, completed the frame by coaxing a foul popup from Desmond Jennings.

NO CEILING FANS: Lucas Duda and Kirk Niewenhuis lost fly balls in consecutive early innings amid the white roof at Tropicana Field. Both were scored hits -- a double by Sean Rodriguez in the second and single by Matt Joyce in the third. Neither ultimately cost Young in terms of damage, but it did drive up his pitch count and cause an earlier-than-desired departure.

AT BAY: Jason Bay went 0-for-5 and is now hitless in 16 at-bats since returning from the DL.

WHAT’S NEXT: R.A. Dickey takes a 24 2/3-inning scoreless streak into Wednesday’s matchup with David Price (8-3, 2.40 ERA). Dickey (9-1, 2.44) is one out shy of tying the longest streak in the majors this season, and seven scoreless innings shy of matching Jerry Koosman’s franchise record, set in 1973. According to STATS, the Dickey-Price matchup will mark only the second time NL and AL win leaders have matched up. The other instance: Boston’s Josh Beckett (then 10-1) opposing San Diego’s Jake Peavy (9-1) on June 24, 2007.