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David Wright jawed with his manager, Terry Collins, in the dugout, but insisted afterward he was upset in the heat of the moment with the situation, not at his manager. The Mets ultimately lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-0, Tuesday at soggy Citi Field. Collins pulled Wright in the bottom of the seventh along with Daniel Murphy, trying to protect the third baseman from getting drilled a half-inning after D.J. Carrasco served up a homer to Rickie Weeks, then plunked Ryan Braun with the next pitch. Wright wanted to stand in the batter's box to take the expected retaliatory blow and end the drama.

"At this level, somebody is going to get hit," Collins said about retaliation, to which the Mets skipper felt the Brewers were entitled. "And it wasn't going to be David Wright tonight. I can't control what's going to happen down the road. He's not going to get hurt in this game, in this situation, tonight."

Please join me for a Mets chat at 1 p.m. ET Wednesday here.

Wednesday's news reports:

• Before the T.C.-Wright dugout spectacle, Dillon Gee had let down the Mets. Gee served up a pair of homers to Travis Ishikawa and was charged with seven runs in 5 1/3 innings. "Mistakes that he makes are in the middle of the plate," Collins said. "I mean, when I took him out of the game, Nicky [catcher Mike Nickeas] said every mistake he made tonight they drilled."

Said Gee: "I don't know. I'm at a loss for words today. I felt good out there. I felt like I made a lot of good pitches. In my mind, I only made a couple of mistakes."

Meanwhile, Murphy extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games before departing the game.

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

• Columnist Mike Vaccaro in the Post summarizes the Wright-Collins argument this way:

Whether [the hit by pitch] was intentional or not isn’t important. Neither is the transaction of removing Wright from the game. This was: Both Collins and Wright care enough about this team and this season as it approaches the quarter pole that they were willing to fill the dugout with noise and rancor, even for a lost cause. They are a fine match, a manager who cares and a player who cares even more.

Read my take here. Columnist Tim Smith in the Daily News also opines on the topic.

• Mayor Michael Bloomberg, MLB commissioner Bud Selig and Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon will participate in a ceremony at City Hall during which the 2013 All-Star Game officially will be awarded to Citi Field. The long-planned event was delayed in being announced for months as MLB worked out contracts with the Javits Convention Center for a fan fest as well as logistics such as NYPD staffing costs for a midtown parade of All-Stars and Central Park concert. You can watch the official announcement live at 11:30 a.m. on the city's web site here. Read more in Newsday, the Times, Post, Daily News and Star-Ledger.

• Collins told Anthony McCarron in the Daily News that Jason Bay "absolutely" will get his left-field job back when he returns from the DL after dealing with a fractured rib. Collins acknowledged the challenge will be finding playing time for Kirk Nieuwenhuis as well, but the manager will make it work. “He didn’t come here to be an extra player," Collins told McCarron about Bay. Nieuwenhuis went 0-for-3 Tuesday. He is hitting .294 with two homers, 12 RBIs, 14 walks and 39 strikeouts in 119 at-bats.

• Josh Thole was examined Tuesday at Citi Field and expected to imminently gain clearance to begin athletic activities. The catcher said he should learn the results of a concussion test Wednesday. Thole, who suffered what may be the fourth concussion of his professional career nine days ago in a plate collision with Ty Wigginton, said his headaches ended Friday. Read more in the Star-Ledger, Record, Daily News and Newsday.

• Jenrry Mejia and Chris Young are slated to move to Triple-A Buffalo to continue their returns from surgeries that both were performed on May 16, 2011. Mejia soon should be exposed to relief work to gauge his ability to contribute at the major league level in that capacity, an organization source told ESPNNewYork.com. Young was due to pitch for Class A St. Lucie on Tuesday night, but the game was rained out. He presumably will pitch Wednesday morning for the Florida State League club before moving to Triple-A.

• A special screening of the Andres Torres-centered documentary "Gigante," about the center fielder's battle with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, will be held at NYU School of Medicine (550 First Ave.) on May 31 at 7 p.m. The free event is open to the public, but preregistration is mandatory at yungogigante.eventbrite.com.

• Wright was noncommittal on his receptiveness to discussing a contract in-season if the Mets approached his representatives.

• Brian Costa in the Journal profiles sudden pinch-hitter-extraordinaire/local product Mike Baxter. Baxter is hitting .471 (8-for-17) with five RBIs as a pinch hitter this season, including a sixth-inning double Tuesday. The contribution also includes a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth inning Friday at Marlins Park.

Plenty of players have found success in pinch-hit roles, but they tend to be veterans who were starters at one point. Baxter, 27, entered Tuesday with just 58 games of major-league experience and just 10 career starts. "Mike is becoming really good at it in a short window," said Mets third-base coach Tim Teufel, who had 192 pinch-hit appearances during his 11-year major-league career. "Usually for a young player, it takes time. He's taken to the role. He's found a way." The Mets' depth was a perceived weakness going into the season. But despite several injuries, they entered Tuesday with a 20-15 record, thanks in part to some unexpected contributions from players at the fringes of the roster. Players like Baxter.

• Michael Salfino in the Journal looks at the Mets' patience at the plate under hitting coach Dave Hudgens. Among the relevant stats: Through Monday, the Mets had seen the most pitches per plate appearance in MLB (3.98), according to Stats LLC, better than runner-up Oakland (3.97) and No. 3 Arizona (3.94). Writes Salfino:

The epitome of the Mets desire to work counts as much as possible, though, is their place as the only team in baseball yet to swing at a 3-0 pitch (70 opportunities). That's widely regarded as the optimal hitter's count. But the Mets clearly don't want to help pitchers work their way out of trouble. New York's patient approach seems to be organization-wide. A spate of injuries have seen four opening day starters head to the disabled list, but replacements Justin Turner (4.22 pitches per plate appearance), Mike Baxter (4.23) and Kirk Nieuwenhuis (4.22) have actually improved the Mets average.

• Baseball America projects the Mets taking Louisiana high school shortstop Gavin Cecchini with the 12th overall pick in the draft next month. The magazine also says the Mets have been "strongly linked" to Texas high school outfielder Courtney Hawkins and Texas A&M right-hander Michael Wacha.

• Brandon Brown had three RBIs and Dustin Lawley homered as Savannah held on for a 4-3 win at Charleston. Read Tuesday's full minor league recap here.

• Collins is not a fan of prescribed roles in the bullpen, but the manager said pregame Tuesday that he needs to accept it as part of the evolution of the game. “Guys are here to do certain jobs,” Collins said. “That’s what they’re paid for. That’s what they prepare for. I mean, you have pitchers in the game today who don’t even go to the bullpen until the sixth inning. They’re not even out there. They’re doing stuff in the clubhouse. They’re stretching. They’re getting rubdowns. That’s the way it is and you have to adjust. I don’t have to like it, but I have to accept it.” Writes columnist Mark Bradley in the Star-Ledger:

No one could have blamed Collins if he took a match and some gasoline to his bullpen roles after Francisco blew the lead twice last weekend in Miami, which was potentially damaging to the psyche of his entire team. And when Francisco got into trouble in the ninth inning on Monday, and the fans were letting him hear it, you wondered, was Collins willing to let another one get away? “The one thing I don’t want to do is turn our bullpen inside out because we have a couple of blown saves,” Collins said. “Everybody has blown saves. But if you start changing everybody’s roles, then all of the sudden it’s very uncomfortable for some guys.” And then Collins repeated, “That’s something I’ve come to accept.”

• Johan Santana and Chris Capuano appear on columnist Bob Klapisch's list of 10 early season MLB surprises in the Record. Writes Klapisch on Santana:

You don’t dominate hitters with an 88-mph fastball without brains and guts, both of which are still Santana’s most precious currencies. His arm has been rebuilt by surgeons, who couldn’t restore the left-hander’s 94-mph heater of his prime. Still, Santana is so good, he’s averaging more than a strikeout an inning. It’s hard to believe Santana was on the DL for the entire 2011 season. Put it this way: The 2.92 ERA isn’t just surprising, it’s magic.

• SNY will televise its "Yearbook" show for the 1962 season for the first time on Thursday at 8 p.m., Ken Belson writes in the Times. Writes Belson:

To sports fans, the show, which is called “1962 Yearbook,” is a wonderful example of how sports was covered a half-century ago, complete with fawning announcers, eager players and a lack of whiz-bang technology that predominates on sports networks these days. “They were trying to generate interest and enthusiasm among the fans,” said Gary Morgenstern, senior vice president for programming at SNY, said of the show and others that would follow. “They weren’t terribly successful, so it was about getting people to fall in love with the team.” The tapes were discovered in 2008, when the Mets were cleaning out Shea Stadium and moving to Citi Field. The video was not meant to be shown on television. Rather, it was to be used by the team’s sales staff to drum up ticket sales in the off-season.

• Miguel Batista remains on target for his next start, despite dealing with a groin issue while tossing seven scoreless innings Monday. He is due to pitch at Toronto on Saturday.

• Mets players already were wearing hockey jerseys in the clubhouse Tuesday, in preparation for a dress-up en route to Toronto after Thursday's homestand finale. Mike Kerwick in the Record spotted R.A. Dickey in a Predators jersey (he lives in Nashville), the Whitestone native Baxter wearing a Rangers jersey, and Nieuwenhuis -- a Denver-area product -- wearing an Avalanche jersey.

TRIVIA: Who hit the homers off Braden Looper to spoil Pedro Martinez's Mets debut in Cincinnati on Opening Day in 2005?

Monday's answer: Gee attended the University of Texas-Arlington.

Johan Santana faces Mets hitters Thursday when he throws batting practice. It marks his first time against hitters since the fall instructional league in Fort Myers, Fla. The Mets are one day away from beginning intrasquad games and four days away from Monday's Grapefruit League opener, when Dillon Gee will take the mound at 6 p.m. against the Washington Nationals.

Thursday's news reports:

• Major League Baseball's drug-prevention program now includes blood being drawn to test for HGH. The Mets experienced the testing for the first time Wednesday morning, writes David Lennon in Newsday. "As long as they're not doing it on a game day, it doesn't bother me," Mike Pelfrey told Lennon. "It actually went really smooth in there. It was in-and-out, just like that. You sit down, they wrap your arm, stick you and it's over." Said center-field prospect Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who is subject to the testing because he is on the 40-man roster: "For the first hour afterward I was having trouble trying to swing, so I think that affected it. I think that would definitely be a concern if they start trying to do the tests right before a game. After the game would be much better." Read more in the Daily News.

• Brian Costa in the Wall Street Journal and Ken Davidoff in Newsday spoke with the Washington Nationals' Chien-Ming Wang, who is recovered from surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his pitching shoulder, the same procedure Santana had Sept. 14, 2010. Wang returned to the majors last season, at the two-year anniversary of his surgery, against the Mets as it turned out. Writes Davidoff:

Wang said that it took him "almost two years" to feel normal again; he had his surgery on July 30, 2009 and made his big-league return on July 29, 2011. "That's what I was told from the beginning: It would take up to two years," Santana said. "And that was the mindset. If I could come back sooner, great. If not, hey, it's two years. There is a time frame there, and I'm really working my way back, and working hard."

"He's a little different animal, probably, than Chien-Ming," [pitching coach Dan] Warthen said of Santana. "He knows himself. He has an easier arm working angle. Chien-Ming had a lot more torque. Personally, I think Johan has a better chance to come back sooner."

Writes Costa:

What makes Santana's recovery especially difficult to forecast -- and what sets him apart from Wang more than anything else -- is that his injury required open surgery. Most shoulder surgeries, including the one performed on Wang, can be done with a minimally invasive arthroscope. But doctors couldn't reach Santana's injury with a scope, so they had to make an incision in the area of the tear. As a result, he has also had to rehab the tissues and muscles that were cut in order to reach the tear. "It's an area of unknown," [Dr. Craig] Levitz, [the chief of orthopedic surgery at South Nassau Community Hospital], said. "There has not been a pitcher of his level that has had open surgery since 1970."

• 2011 first-round Brandon Nimmo, who is participating in the camp for top prospects, discussed his offseason and transition to professional baseball Wednesday. Nimmo said the speed of the game at the pro level, compared with his amateur days in Wyoming, was the biggest adjustment. Watch video of Nimmo's interview here. Read more in the Star-Ledger, Times, Post and Newsday.

• Unsigned Chris Young reportedly wants a major league deal, which is not happening with the Mets ... or, likely, anywhere. Young's had only nine and a half months to recover from the shoulder surgery also undergone by Wang and Santana.

• Gee did Pilates during the offseason at the recommendation of now-departed Chris Capuano to try to get into better shape for a long season. Jason Bay and Scott Hairston also do it. Writes Andy McCullough in the Star-Ledger:

Surrounded by women this winter in a Texas shopping center and fastened into a contraption called “The Reformer,” Mets starter Dillon Gee vacillated between attempting to “fire” his abdominal muscles and wondering what the heck he was doing. The answer: Pilates. "Being an athlete, you’re used to being in a gym, throwing around weights," Gee said. "Now you're in this studio with a bunch of girls, strapped into this weird machine. I mean, it's definitely pretty weird." ... “Pilates is awesome,” Gee said. “You think it’s for chicks, and it should be easy -- and it’s … hard.”

• Offensive-minded second-base prospect Reese Havens is dealing with another back issue. Read more in the Times and Star-Ledger.

• Terry Collins agreed that D.J. Carrasco's existing $1.2 million contract for the 2012 season gives him a leg up for one of the two up-for-grabs bullpen spots. But Carrasco is not taking anything for granted after watching the Mets last spring training release Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, who were owed a combined $18 million.

• Here's a breakdown of who might emerge as the second left-handed reliever in the bullpen with Tim Byrdak should the Mets decide to carry the extra southpaw. That's no guarantee. Five spots are essentially filled -- by closer Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch, Ramon Ramirez, Manny Acosta and Byrdak. Bobby Parnell has a minor league option remaining but probably merits being on the major league staff. So if Carrasco and Parnell make it and there are no injuries, no room exists for a second left-hander. There also are bullpen candidates with options such as Pedro Beato and Josh Stinson as well as Miguel Batista on a minor league deal in camp.

Parnell struggled in the closer's role late in the season after Jason Isringhausen achieved his 300th save. Parnell can be sent to the minors without passing through waivers. Then again, his 100 mph fastball would seem to have a place somewhere in the major league bullpen, even if it is not the late innings.

A team approached the Mets during the winter meetings trying to acquire Parnell, but after consideration team officials resolved not to give up that type of live arm. (You may recall the previous administration regretting trading similarly hard-throwing Matt Lindstrom to the Marlins, even though Jason Vargas, who was acquired for Lindstrom and was soon thereafter traded to the Mariners, turned out to be a pretty good pitcher.) "Work ethic is not the question with Bobby," Josh Thole told Mike Kerwick in the Record. "The one thing that I think would really [help] -- and he's made tremendous strides -- is the consistency of his breaking ball. Using his slider for a strike; knowing when to use it for a ball." Said Collins: "The two times I’ve seen him throw, his breaking ball is the best I’ve seen him have. The best. Great rotation, late break, flat, no hump to it at all. I want to see him get in a game and use it." Parnell also got married during the offseason. Read more in the Times.

• The Post's Mike Puma takes a look at the 6-foot-11 Rauch, who signed a one-year deal for $3.5 million and will serve as the primary set-up man to Francisco. "I think he can be an intimidating presence," Sandy Alderson told Puma. "We think, based on the [right-knee] surgery he had last fall, it will give him an opportunity to get back to the form he’s exhibited over the years and he provides us with a tremendous amount of depth, just as the other two [relievers] we acquired did."

• Center fielder Andres Torres' documentary "Gigante," which chronicles his battle with an attention-deficit disorder, will be out in a month, writes columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post. "With this film, I want to give hope to kids who have this ADHD condition," Torres told Kernan. "It's not easy and I want to share my story and inspire others. I want to make sure these kids always have hope that things will work out. It’s not impossible to do things. If you find the right medication plus therapy and some professional help, you can find success like I did. I struggled for many years."

• Daniel Murphy, who got engaged during the offseason, continues to work with infield coach Tim Teufel on pivots at second base while turning double plays. “The things we’ve been talking to Murph about are just to be consistent. Catch the ball. Just make the routine plays,” Collins said. "Teuf has really worked hard with him on just trying to get one of the pivots down and not trying to do two or three different ones. We want him to get one down and do it real good. We know Murph's hands are OK. It's just such a new position to him, and that’s why we’re going to try to get him as many reps this spring as we can." Read about Murphy's tutorials via Peter Botte in the Daily News. Murphy, by the way, started working out in Port St. Lucie this year without wearing any braces. However, according to Collins, doctors asked him to resume wearing the brace on his right knee, the one he injured in 2010. Murphy complied, and it should not be an issue since he wore it last season without it restricting his mobility.

• Thole has given up his Mets player rep role to Byrdak and is concentrating on improving his catching. "He had some legitimate distractions,” Collins told columnist Bill Madden in the Daily News about Thole's 2011 season. "His wife had a baby and he was the players' union rep for God's sake. Barely a year and half in the big leagues and he's got those duties in which he had to deal with 'hat gate' (the Sept. 11 hat issue). That wasn’t fair to him."

TRIVIA: Who ranked third on the Mets in steals last season, behind Jose Reyes' 39 and Angel Pagan's 32?

(Wednesday's answer: After Dave Racaniello was unable to fulfill the role because of back issues, Paul Lo Duca stepped in and pitched to David Wright in the 2006 Home Run Derby at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Wright finished second in the competition, and has not competed since.)

Sandy Alderson did not come out and say it. But the GM left the strong impression Chris Capuano's 2011 production had priced the southpaw out of the amount of money the Mets intend to pay for that role in 2012.

Capuano, coming off his second Tommy John surgery, had a base salary of $1.5 million in his inaugural season as a Met. But he ended up earning $3.925 million with incentives. And now he could command a multi-year deal with a significant base salary because he has reestablished himself following the elbow procedure.

Asked if Capuano was a goner, Alderson said: “I wouldn’t say definitely. But I know one thing that we have to be aware of here is that we sign a player for one year here under the right circumstances that we not get too carried away with the relationship going forward. There’s sort of a history here of signing a guy for a year, he does pretty well, sign him for a couple of years or what have you and things don’t go as well. That’s not with respect to Chris necessarily, but as a general rule we will take a look at these things from the perspective of today as opposed to the perspective of a year ago.”

The Mets need to sign rotation depth who can compete with Dillon Gee and otherwise be assigned to the bullpen or Triple-A Buffalo.

Chris Capuano received a $1.5 million base salary with incentives this past season that brought the total to $3.925 million, but has now priced himself out of returning to the team, SI.com reported.

Capuano seeks a two-year deal, not something the Mets are in a position to consider, the report stated.

Lets’ look at the 2011 season from a non-traditional statistical perspective, with some help from the resources of Baseball-Reference.com …

Team Year-in-Review
• The Mets went 77-85 in 2011. It’s the second time in team history that they won exactly 77 games, the first coming 20 years ago in a very disappointing 1991 season.

• These Mets scored 718 runs, 12th-most in team history, but second-most in a losing season. They scored 746 runs when they went 71-91 in 1996.

• The Mets had an-NL leading 309 doubles, second-most in team history, trailing only the 323 of the 2011 squad. It marked the second time the team led the league in doubles, the other coming in 1989.

• The Mets led the National League in walks drawn for the first time since 1992. It’s a category they also led in both 1962 (the lowest of lows) and 1986 (the highest of highs).

• The Mets finished second in the National League in on-base percentage (.335), their highest NL ranking since 1999, when they led the league. The only other seasons they were a top-two team were three pretty good years-- 1986 to 1988.

• This season marked the first 162-game season in which the Mets did not have a player play 130 games with the team. The Mets also were without 130-game players in 1972, 1981, and 1994. The 1972 season could also count- it was a 156-game season due to a player strike. No Met finished with more than 122 games.

Jose, Jose, Jose
• Jose Reyes is the second player in Mets history to lead the National League in most at-bats per strikeout (13.1). The only other player to do it was second baseman Felix Millan, who led the NL each season from 1973 to 1975.

Reyes also shared the NL lead in triples with Shane Victorino, despite not hitting any triples in his final 43 games. He stockpiled them early, setting a Mets record for multi-triple games in a season with three.

• Reyes was part of the second instance in Mets history in which they had the same pair of players steal at least 30 bases in back-to-back seasons. Angel Pagan and Reyes did so this season. Lee Mazzilli and Frank Taveras did it in 1979 and 1980.

Obscure Stat of the Season I
The most obscure stat on the offensive side was that Chin-Lung Hu went 1-for-20, finishing with an .050 batting average. Only two Mets position players had a worse batting average, with at least 20 at-bats in a season-- Sandy Alomar Sr. was 0-22 (.000) in 1966 and catcher Butch Benton was 1-for-21 (.048) in 1980.

The Best There Was
Chris Capuano’s 13-strikeout, two-hit shutout of the Braves on August 26 earned him a Bill James Game Score of 96, the highest in the major leagues all season.

Bill James Game Score ranks pitcher starts, usually on a scale from 0 to 100, with 49 to 50 being average. The rating is based on a pitchers innings pitched, hits allowed, runs allowed, strikeouts, and walks.

It marked the fourth time in Mets history that a Mets pitcher finished a season with the highest Bill James Game Score, the first since 1985 when Dwight Gooden’s Game Score of 92 against the Phillies on September 16 (a two-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts) tied him with Jimmy Key and Dennis Eckersley for best of the season.

Tom Seaver claimed top Game Score pitching honors in a season twice, in 1970 and 1974.

Dickey Deserved Better
R.A. Dickey’s season marked the 42nd time in Mets history that a pitcher finished with an ERA of 3.30 or better in 200 or more innings. However, Dickey’s 8-13 record and .381 winning percentage surpassed Jon Matlack’s .464 winning percentage in 1974 as the worst of those 42 seasons.

Golly Gee!
• Dillon Gee hit 14 batters with a pitch this season, two shy of the Mets record set by Pedro Astacio in 2002. Gee’s 14 hit-by-pitches rank fourth-best in Mets history, one shy of the three-way tie featuring Nolan Ryan (1971), Kevin Appier (2001), and Victor Zambrano (2005) for second-most.

• Gee won 13 games this season with a 4.43 ERA. That’s tied for the second-most wins by a Mets pitcher whose ERA was greater than 4.4 (tied with Orel Hershiser in 1999 and Tom Glavine, 2007). The only pitcher with more, Steve Trachsel, who had 15 wins and a 4.97 ERA in 2006.

Obscure Stat of the Season II
The Mets used 23 pitchers this season and every one of them recorded at least one decision. It’s the fifth time in Mets history in which every pitcher used in a season got at least one decision. The other occurrences were in 1970, 1979, 1983, and 1995.

Jose Reyes had a two-homer game and finished 3-for-6 to lift his National League-leading average to .336 in the Mets' 5-4, 13-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Milwaukee's Ryan Braun enters the final day of the regular season a point behind, at .335. Reyes said he is committed to playing in the matinee finale, although Terry Collins may pull him after a couple of at-bats if they're hits.

"Every time I go to home plate, they make a lot of noise," Reyes said about the Citi Field faithful, which requested a curtain call after his second homer Tuesday night. "When I get a base hit, they make a lot of noise, too. So they know what's going on. I appreciate that from the fans."

Wednesday's news reports:

• Fred Wilpon and family received a favorable ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff. They have not escaped having to return profits however, but the standard for having to forfeit principal was placed very high. There is a discepancy in interpretation of Rakoff's ruling with respect to whether trustee Irving Picard is entitled to the last two years of Ponzi scheme profits from the Wilpons ($83.3 million) or an amount going back further ($295 million). Regardless of what Rakoff decides, or decided, that interpretation can be taken to the appeals court that has handed Picard a favorable ruling in the past with respect to calculating who lost how much in the Ponzi scheme. Read more in Capital New York, the Post, Times, Newsday and Daily News.

• The Mets picked up the 2013 option on Collins' contract, ensuring there is no ambiguity about the team's commitment to him next season. "It's certainly an honor," Collins said. "I'm very proud of the way the players have played. Managers, we get extended and we get contracts because your team plays well and plays hard. As I said in spring training, we asked them to come out and play the game right, and they have. Certainly we're not very happy with the wins and losses, but we've hung in there all season long and made games out of games people didn't think we would win." Read more in Newsday, the Post, Daily News and Star-Ledger.

• Recently discovered spots turned out to be benign, although Gary Carter's battle with cancerous brain tumors continues.

• Pitching coach Dan Warthen will return in 2012, the Post reports. Sandy Alderson officially says he will confer with Collins on Thursday about the staff.

• Post columnist Joel Sherman fully expects Reyes to get a minimum of six years, $114 million in free agency. And he notes the Mets are in a no-win situation as a result. Writes Sherman:

In general, organizations should not make decisions for emotional reasons or to appease their fans. But just how much of their base can the Mets disenchant before it is a tipping point that sets the franchise back in support and attendance for a decade or more? How much animus can this ownership group engender before its mere presence atop the leadership flow chart drives even the most loyal fans toward dispassion? Beyond Reyes' skills, these are the central reasons why the Mets are motivated to keep Reyes. Except that is a trap door, as well. Because should a team in the Mets' current condition really be allocating big money within a dwindling payroll for a multi-talented but injury-prone player?

• Read more on Reyes' thoughts heading into potentially his final game as a Met in Newsday, the Post, Star-Ledger and Record.

• Chris Capuano, who may be re-signed by the organization, expressed content with making 31 starts in 2011. "I'm most proud of really just completing a full season, taking the ball every five days and not missing a turn," Capuano said. "That was a big positive for me. The last time I threw a real full season was '06, '07. I threw over 200 innings in '06, and had less but threw pretty much a full season in '07. That was my main goal coming in. There's some numbers things I'd like to improve on. I guess I'd like to get that ERA a little lower. But I'm just happy with having a full, healthy season."

• The Mets asked for a permanent territorial waiver to relocate a minor league team to Long Island or Connecticut in order to give their consent for a one-year relocation of the Yankees' Triple-A team to Newark, N.J., Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost told the Daily News. Said Trost: "I said, 'Permanently?' They said, 'Permanently.'" Trost declined, and subsequently offered the Mets $250,000 for the one-year waiver, the newspaper reported. The Mets declined.

BIRTHDAY: Former reliever Mike DeJean turns 41.

Recap | Box score | Photos

WHAT IT MEANS: Jose Reyes took a curtain call after his second homer Tuesday night. But is it curtains in New York after the season finale Wednesday afternoon?

Reyes went 3-for-6 while producing the seventh multi-homer game of his career. He is hitting .336 entering the season’s final day. Ryan Braun went 1-for-2 with two walks and is hitting .335.

Reyes last went deep twice on June 19, 2010, against the Yankees’ Phil Hughes.

The Mets lost in the 13^th when Juan Francisco tripled and scored on a squeeze bunt by Drew Stubbs against Dale Thayer. Justin Turner lined into a double play with the bases loaded to end the game.

Reyes’ first long ball gave him 100 runs scored for the fourth time in his career, extending his franchise record. David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Edgardo Alfonzo, Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry each scored 100 runs twice as a Met.

The Mets were one out from winning, 4-3, but Bobby Parnell entered with two on and two out for Manny Acosta in the ninth and suffered a blown save that prolonged the game. The Mets had taken that one-run lead on Josh Thole’s tie-breaking single in the seventh, which scored Nick Evans. Reyes also had a diving stop on Chris Heisey’s grounder to his left for the final out of the top of the eighth, which stranded the potential tying run in scoring position.

CAPPER: Chris Capuano allowed a two-run homer in the first inning to Jay Bruce as well as a solo shot by Joey Votto in the sixth that tied the score at 3, but departed after that frame with the lead thanks to Thole’s RBI single. It potentially was Capuano’s final game as a Met, although the Mets hope to re-sign him for next season for a still-to-be-determined role.

Capuano earned $3.925 million this season with bonuses. He was poised to earn the victory, but ended up with a no-decision to finish his first Mets season with an 11-12 record and a 4.55 ERA in 33 appearances (31 starts).

Said Terry Collins: “It’s been really amazing, because coming off the injuries he’s had, in spring training we talked, ‘Gosh, if we get half a season out of him and then Johan (Santana)’s ready, then he’s an option to go to the bullpen.’ Obviously we’ve needed him all year long. All he’s done is stepped up and given us quality outings.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The Mets complete their season Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field as Reyes potentially plays his final game as a Met. Right-hander Miguel Batista (4-2, 4.24 ERA) opposes Reds right-hander Edinson Volquez (5-6, 5.84). Don’t look for a start by Jason Bay in the finale. Bay, who has been limited to three innings because of illness over the past eight games, likely is too weak to start in the finale, according to Collins -- although he did pinch-run in the 13th inning Tuesday night. He joins Lucas Duda and Angel Pagan(concussion-like symptoms) and Jason Isringhausen (right leg numbness) on the shelf.

The Mets mounted their biggest ninth-inning road comeback since 1973 (when Willie Mays delivered the go-ahead blow). This time, they startled the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. The six-run frame lifted the Mets to an 8-6 win and dropped St. Louis two games behind the idle Atlanta Braves in the wild-card race. The Cardinals appeared poised to pull within a game before the collapse -- great shape considering they close the season with series against the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros.

“Don’t make a mistake and say we’re heartbroken,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told St. Louis reporters afterward. “Our heart’s beating. We won the series. Get ready for tomorrow.”

Friday's news reports:

• Chris Capuano said he was unaware until after Thursday's start against the Cardinals that Sandy Alderson had discussed trading him to the Boston Red Sox in recent days. Capuano -- a Springfield, Mass., native -- would not have been eligible for the postseason, but would have helped Boston limp to the finish line by starting Sunday against the Yankees. Read more in Newsday, the Post, Journal and Star-Ledger.

• SI.com reported the Mets are not likely to extend Terry Collins' contract anytime soon, but the Daily News reports the 2013 team option could be picked up within 10 days. Sources told ESPNNewYork.com that team officials are not ready to guarantee the full coaching staff will be back, which will lead to speculation about Dan Warthen. The News continues to speculate third base coach Chip Hale might bolt to join friend Bob Melvin's staff in Oakland, which could land Triple-A manager Tim Teufel or Double-A manager Wally Backman on the staff.

• With a decsion expected from Judge Jed S. Rakoff by the end of the month whether to toss all or part of the $1 billion Bernard Madoff-related suit, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz as investors are profiled in the Times. Write Richard Sandomir and Ken Belson:

Wilpon and one of his senior partners say they were aware of investigations of Madoff by the Securities and Exchange Commission but were always comforted that nothing seemed to come of them. Katz, for his part, even appears to make light of his investing I.Q. With a mix of pugnacity and pride, Katz testified that he had earned nothing more than a 2.1 grade-point average at Brooklyn College. He testified that he had not bought stock on his own in 19 years and “got killed” trading stock options a quarter-century ago. “I’m not good at it,” he said. “It’s not my business.”

• Lucas Duda did not play Thursday, but suggested he felt fine a day after becoming dizzy crashing into the outfield wall.

• Read recaps of the Mets' comeback in the Post and Times.

BIRTHDAYS: Long Island native/Fordham product Pete Harnisch, who went 10-21 for the Mets 55 appearances (54 starts) in the mid-'90s, turns 45.

Chris Capuano said the Mets never briefed him about a potential trade to the Boston Red Sox, and he did not even learn there had been dialogue between the teams until after his no-decision in Thursday's comeback win in St. Louis.

"I heard about it after the game," Capuano said. "I'm glad I didn't know about it. Today I just tried to focus on the game. It didn't happen, so I don't know if there's much more to talk about."

Still, he added after surrendering four runs in 4 2/3 innings, that had he known about the trade dialogue, it likely would not have affected his performance.

"My command suffered out there today as it was," said Capuano, who is expected to earn $3.925 million this season with bonuses for reaching 180 innings and starting 31 games (with one more outing this season). "I don't think any distraction was going to make it any worse than it was today."

What might pitching one game for the Red Sox and being ineligible for the postseason have felt like?

"It would be strange. It would have been a unique challenge, I think, to try to block all that out and just focus on making pitches," Capuano said.

Capuano grew up a Red Sox fan in Springfield, Mass.

"The Mets broke my heart in '86," Capuano said.

Where does Capuano fit in for 2012? He's not quite sure. He is resolute that he wants to be a major league starting pitcher, not a reliever. If Johan Santana comes back healthy with Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese and Dillon Gee, it's unclear if the Mets could guarantee that role. The optimal scenario from the organization standpoint might be re-signing him for a Darren Oliver-type role and having him as a safety net for the rotation while available for relief.

"I've been pleased with the way my body has felt and the routine I'm in," Capuano said. "I felt strong every fifth day and really, knock on wood, haven't had any snags along the way. From that standpoint it's been good. I'm frustrated with outings like today in terms of innings pitched. I'd like to be going deeper into the games. Today I was frustrated having thrown over 100 pitches without even getting through the fifth."

Asked if he could return to a situation with the Mets where there are six starting pitching candidates and his ultimate 2012 Opening Day assignment is nebulous, Capuano said: "I'll have to see how it shakes out. Coming into this year, my main thing was getting somewhere where I had a really good chance to make the starting rotation. I knew I had to earn that right."

"He can do either," Terry Collins said about starter versus reliever. "He's told us that. He can do either. Down the road where he fits, I certainly can't predict it. But what he's done this year as a starter speaks volumes. He's gone out there 30 times and he leads this team in strikeouts."

Recap | Box score | Photos

WHAT IT MEANS: After a 139-minute rain delay, then a pregame ceremony by the Cardinals to honor Jason Isringhausen for reaching 300 career saves, the Mets rallied to win with a six-run ninth.

Ruben Tejada delivered a bases-loaded two-run double to tie the score in the ninth. After David Wright was retired, Willie Harris had a two-run single to put the Mets ahead.

The victory gave the Atlanta Braves a two-game lead in the wild-card standings over St. Louis, breathing life into their floundering season.

The Mets finished 43-38 on the road.

Bobby Parnell produced his first save since Sept. 4.

RECAP: Chris Capuano surrendered a two-run homer in the first inning to Allen Craig.

Albert Pujols added a solo homer in what became a two-run fifth as St. Louis took a 4-1 lead. It was Pujols’ fifth homer in 33 career at-bats against Capuano. He has a .545 average against the southpaw.

Capuano was pulled with two out and two in scoring position in the fifth. Right fielder Mike Baxter bailed the southpaw out of further damage when he made a diving catch on Ryan Theriot’s sinking liner after Ryota Igarashi entered in relief.

The Cardinals ultimately built a 6-1 lead before the Mets rallied.

News reports surfaced earlier in the day that the Boston Red Sox had been interested in acquiring Capuano this week in order to make a start Sunday against the Yankees.

Capuano hit the 180-inning mark exactly, earning an additional $200,000 bonus. His salary with bonuses has now hit $3.85 million. Capuano will earn another $75,000 for his final start of the season, so his final payout should end up at $3.925 million.

REYES TRACKER: Jose Reyes went 1-for-4 with a walk as his average dipped to .329. That is Reyes’ lowest average at the end of a game since May 28. He slipped to second place in the NL batting race. Ryan Braun is hitting .330 for Milwaukee, which is idle Thursday.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Mets head to New York for a season-ending six-game homestand. R.A. Dickey (8-13, 3.35 ERA) opposes Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels (14-9, 2.80) in Friday’s 7:10 p.m. series opener.

Looking for a spot starter this weekend against the Yankees to hold onto the wild card, the Boston Red Sox inquired about Chris Capuano but were unable to strike a deal, ESPNBoston.com reports here.

A source with Mets ties told ESPNNewYork.com that Miguel Batista was held out of Tuesday's game in St. Louis in case Capuano was traded and the Mets needed a spot starter Thursday. Batista subsequently was used in relief Wednesday when it became apparent a deal would not materialize.

GM Sandy Alderson said he would not speak about specific trade talks that do not come to fruition, but said generally about why a deal such as that may not occur: "It could be a number of reasons for it -- not getting back what you think is fair compensation, wanting to finish the season as strongly as possible, perhaps wanting to retain a player from one year to the next."

Chris Schwinden will enter the rotation for Thursday's series finale against the Washington Nationals, bumping Miguel Batista to the bullpen. Chris Capuano actually had been scheduled to face the Nats that day, but the southpaw will be given an extra day of rest and will work on Batista's originally scheduled day, Friday in Atlanta.

Schwinden was charged with five runs on eight hits and a walk in five innings in his major league debut last Thursday against Atlanta. That upped his season innings count to 153 2/3.

The Mets had appeared resolved not to go any further this year barring a need for Schwinden in long relief, since Schwinden tossed only 113 2/3 innings in 2010. But the Mets subsequently reversed course, reasoning they needed to see the rookie right-hander more to gauge his ability.

Schwinden turns 25 on Sept. 22.

• Jason Isringhausen played catch Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field, a day after receiving an injection to try to alleviate right leg numbness associated with a herniated disc in his lower back. Isringhausen said he did the light throwing session on his own, not at the instruction of team medical staff or coaches. Asked if a return was imminent, Isringhausen definitively proclaimed: "Nooooo."

• Jose Garcia, a 16-year-old switch-hitting catcher from Venezuela who was the top international prospect inked by the Mets during the July signing flurry, took batting practice at Citi Field on Tuesday afternoon.

"A switch-hitting catcher. Very athletic," Mets director of international operations Rafael Perez said about Garcia. "A gap-to-gap hitter. Stays within himself. A 1.85- to 1.95-(second time) to second (base). He's just a kid with high energy and somebody we like his makeup. I think we've got a good package."

• Mike Pelfrey is the Mets nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for humanitarian efforts. Carlos Delgado won the award in 2006 as a Met. Fans collectively have one vote for the award, with the voters mostly part of a decorated MLB panel that includes Vera Clemente, the widow of Roberto Clemente.

• The Mets are scheduled to visit Toronto and Tampa Bay during interleague play next season, with Boston coming to Citi Field, according to sources. The schedule has not yet been released. The Mets are expected to open the 2012 season at home.

• Terry Collins said Jason Bay's absence for a recurring right shoulder issue should be limited to Tuesday's game. Bay jammed the shoulder again attempting a diving catch during the weekend series against the Chicago Cubs and played through irritation Monday.

• Ike Davis plans to return home to Arizona in a couple of days, when the Mets head out for their final road trip of the season, to Atlanta and St. Louis. Davis said he will be idle for a couple of weeks before beginning a weightlifting regimen.

• Lucas Duda confirmed he intends to play for Tim Teufel-managed Caracas for a month at the beginning of the winter league season in Venezuela to continue learning right field. Team officials had told Duda he did not need to play winter ball because of his heavy workload this season.

The Mets lost to the Marlins, 9-3, as Chris Capuano had his shortest start as a Met. But the news was made before the game when Johan Santana indicated he could return to the major leagues as soon as next week and Ike Davis worked out at Sun Life Stadium and pronounced surgery unnecessary.

Tuesday's news reports:

• Santana will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday in Miami before the Mets face the Marlins. He then will pitch in a minor league playoff game Friday. The preference is for that game to be in the Florida State League. But if St. Lucie does not have a game that day -- it begins a best-of-three series Tuesday -- then Santana would pitch in the South Atlantic League playoffs at Savannah, Ga. With playoffs likely over after that point, Santana indicated an inclination for his following appearance -- next week -- to be in the majors for a couple of innings. That could coincide with the one-year anniversary of his Sept. 14, 2010 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. Read more in the Star-Ledger, Post and Newsday.

• Davis worked out for Terry Collins on Monday in Miami. He will do so the other two days of the series, too. But assuming he continues to feel no pain in his troublesome left ankle -- he feels tightness, or minor irritation -- the first baseman indicated surgery will not be needed. He expects team doctors to sign off on that route when he follows the team to New York after Thursday's series finale. Davis then should shut down activity for a month to allow the ankle to further recuperate, followed by the beginnings of his preparation for the 2012 season. Davis did acknowledge some issue likely will be with him the remainder of his career, but noted plenty of ballplayers have nagging issues. He has been told to expect arthritis. Read more in Newsday, the Times, Record, Post, Daily News and Star-Ledger.

• Also on the injury front, assistant GM John Ricco said Jon Niese (intercostal muscle strain on side) still experiences a twinge when he sneezes, so he is not close to returning. Still, Ricco indicated the Mets would not place him -- or Scott Hairston (oblique) -- on the 60-day DL to create roster room. That means the organization still is leaving open the possibility of either returning this season.

• The Mets confirmed that right-hander Chris Schwinden, first baseman Valentino Pascucci and outfielder Mike Baxter will be promoted now that Triple-A Buffalo's season has ended. Schwinden is expected to start one game of Thursday's makeup doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Pascucci, who will wear the No. 15 formerly donned by Carlos Beltran, last appeared in the majors on Oct. 3, 2004 with the Montreal Expos at Shea Stadium. The Queens native Baxter had been claimed off waivers from the San Diego Padres earlier this season.

• Matt Harvey led the organization in wins and strikeouts, while Danny Muno had the best average. With regular seasons complete in the minors, click here for the statistical leaders. The combined record of the Mets' seven U.S.-based affiliates was 388-373. St. Lucie, Savannah and Brooklyn qualified for the postseason.

• Read game summaries in the Times, Record and Star-Ledger.

BIRTHDAYS: One-time top outfield prospect Alex Escobar, who was sent to Cleveland in the December 2001 deal for Roberto Alomar, turns 33.

WHAT IT MEANS: Only 23 games left in the season. Jason Bay had a two-run homer in the ninth. Terry Collins said Bay would get a pre-scheduled day off Tuesday.

FALSE START: Chris Capuano allowed six runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out three in four innings. It was his shortest start as a Met as well as his fifth second-half start against Florida.

"It was frustrating," Capuano said. "I never really could settle into a good rhythm. The ball was kind of flat coming out of my hand, up a little bit. I just couldn't really make that adjustment."

Capuano nonetheless upped his season earnings in a heavily incentive-based contract to $3.225 million by crossing 160 innings pitched. He will earn $75,000 for each additional start this season and $200,000 apiece assuming he crosses 170 and 180 innings pitched.

UNEARNED: Reliever D.J. Carrasco allowed seven hits and hit a batter in two innings, but only one of the three runs were earned.

CATCHING ON: Josh Thole was stung momentarily when crossed up by one Ryota Igarashi pitch, but pronounced himself fine in his return to the starting lineup. Thole had suffered bruises to the wrist and thumb Thursday.

WHAT’S NEXT: Miguel Batista (4-2, 4.33 ERA) makes his second start for the Mets. He opposes Marlins right-hander Chris Volstad (5-12, 5.48) at 7:10 p.m. Tuesday. Right-hander Chris Schwinden, first baseman Valentino Pascucci and outfielder Mike Baxter are due to join the Mets from Triple-A Buffalo.