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LAS VEGAS 7, OMAHA 3: Designated hitter Josh Satin had a three-run homer against Will Smith in the third inning to give the 51s (19-20) an early lead. Right-hander Matt Fox, making his organization debut after being signed out of Somerset in the independent Atlantic League, allowed three runs on six hits, including a pair of homers, while striking out six in five innings. Fox earned the win. In positioning that may bear watching given Ike Davis' struggles, Andrew Brown started at first base for the first time this season. Brown had played in 239 minor league games at first base -- more than any other position -- before joining the Mets. Brown went 2-for-5 to improve his Pacific Coast League average to .366. Satin went 2-for-4 and scored twice and is now hitting .303. Josh Edgin struck out three and walked one in a scoreless ninth in his second appearance since joining Las Vegas from Binghamton. Catcher Juan Centeno left the game with a hamstring strain. Box

BINGHAMTON 6, PORTLAND 3: The B-Mets (23-18) cashed in on three Portland errors in a three-run ninth to stretch their season-best winning streak to five games and move within one game of first-place Portland in the Eastern Division. Richard Lucas led off the ninth against reliever Keith Couch with a slow roller to third. Michael Almanzar barehanded the grounder and fired an errant throw to first as Lucas moved to second. With Lucas as the go-ahead run, Alonzo Harris pushed a bunt to the mound. Travis Shaw charged from first and fielded it cleanly, but fell to the ground before getting off a throw. Danny Muno followed with a chopper to third. Alamanzar attempted to nab Lucas at the plate, but lost his grip and the B-Mets took the lead. Darrell Ceciliani added an RBI single and Muno scored the final run by scampering home after a throwing error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Staked to a three-run lead, Jeff Walters struck out three in a scoreless ninth for his league-leading 11th save. Muno had opened the game by doubling against Portland starter Matt Barnes. Ceciliani pushed Muno to third with a sacrifice bunt. Cesar Puello brought him home with a single. Portland evened the score at 1 in the third against B-Mets starter Erik Goeddel. Peter Hissey’s chopper glanced off Goeddel’s glove and rolled into right field for a single. Tony Thomas then doubled with two outs. After fighting off a B-Mets threat in the second, Barnes settled down and retired 11 consecutive batters. His streak ended in the sixth when he walked Ceciliani. Puello then had an RBI double. Allan Dykstra followed with an RBI double. Binghamton’s 3-1 lead did not last long. After Travis Shaw beat out a bunt single, Michael Almanzar blasted a two-run homer against Goeddel, who allowed three runs on six hits in six innings. B-Mets reliever John Church (2-3) posted two scoreless innings. Box

BRADENTON 5, ST. LUCIE 4: Jenrry Mejia allowed two runs and five hits over three innings with three walks and six strikeouts in his first start on a major league rehab assignment with St. Lucie (23-16). Willy Garcia drilled a bases-loaded walk-off single against reliever T.J. Chism. Chism allowed a leadoff single to Benji Gonzalez in the ninth and then served up a double to Gregory Polanco. After an intentional walk to Jose Osuna, Chism struck out Dan Gamache. Garcia followed with a line-drive single to score Gonzalez with the winning run. The Mets trailed 3-1 entering the eighth, but rallied for three runs with two outs. Matt Reynolds drew a four-pitch walk. Dustin Lawley then ripped an RBI triple to center and scored the tying run on an errant throw into the dugout by shortstop Alen Hanson. Aderlin Rodriguez launched his seventh homer of the season, a go-ahead solo shot to right-center to give the Mets a 4-3 lead. Garcia hit a game-tying homer off Mets reliever Chasen Bradford in the eighth. Jim Fuller allowed one run over three innings in relief and Bradford allowed one run over two innings. Lawley had two hits and two RBIs, including a solo homer in the sixth. The Pirates' Chase d'Arnaud, the rehabbing brother of Mets prospect Travis d'Arnaud, went 2-for-3 with a triple, walk, RBI and two runs scored for Bradenton while playing shortstop. Box

AUGUSTA 11, SAVANNAH 0: Robert Gsellman was charged with seven runs (two earned) on nine hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. The Gnats (22-17) mustered only one hit -- a game-opening single by Yucarybert De La Cruz -- as well as three walks. Box

Compiled from team reports

OMAHA 5, LAS VEGAS 4: Andrew Brown tripled and scored on Wilmer Flores' groundout to open the ninth, but the 51s ultimately stranded the bases loaded as Donnie Joseph struck out Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Omaha had taken a 5-3 lead in the eighth on run-scoring groundout against Josh Edgin in the southpaw's Pacific Coast League debut after a promotion from Binghamton. Starter D.J. Mitchell (1-1) surrendered four runs on 10 hits and a walk in five innings as his ERA swelled to 6.75. Eric Campbell went 3-for-3 with two RBIs in the loss. Flores also had two RBIs for the 51s (18-20). Box

BREVARD COUNTY 4, ST. LUCIE 3: T.J. Mittelstaedt had a walk-off RBI double in the ninth against T.J. Chism. The Mets (23-15) dropped three of four games in the series. Noah Syndergaard received a no-decision despite striking out a season-high 10 batters in 6 2/3 innings while walking none. He allowed seven hits and two runs. Throw out an April 18 start in which Syndergaard allowed seven runs in three innings and he otherwise has a 1.30 ERA in seven starts. Cameron Garfield's two-run triple in the sixth tied the score at 2 against Syndergaard. Rylan Sandoval had a bases-loaded two-run single in the top half of that inning. Hamilton Bennett pitched a scoreless relief inning and had three strikeouts. Randy Fontanez suffered the loss. He allowed one hit and struck out two in an inning. Chism came on in relief with a runner at second and two outs in the ninth before allowing the game-winning hit. Jenrry Mejia will make the start on a major league rehab assignment for the Mets as Friday's starter at Bradenton. Box

SAVANNAH 6, AUGUSTA 0 (11 innings): The Gnats ended a scoreless duel with six runs in the 11th, highlighted by a pinch-hit two-run single from Maikis De La Cruz. A pair of throwing errors by Augusta third baseman Mitchell Delfino resulted in four unearned runs. Starter Rainy Lara surrendered only two hits and a walk in eight innings. He combined with Bret Mitchell (1-1) and Beck Wheeler on the four-hit shutout. Lara retired the final 11 batters he faced and shaved his ERA to 1.17, which ranks second in the South Atlantic League. Box

Compiled from team reports

ST. LOUIS

FIRST PITCH: The task does not get any easier for the struggling Mets, who try to snap a five-game losing streak tonight at Busch Stadium.

Winless Shaun Marcum (0-3, 8.59 ERA) opposes right-hander Shelby Miller at 8:15 p.m. ET. All Miller did in his last start was allow a leadoff hit, then retire 27 straight Colorado Rockies.

Then, looming in Thursday’s matinee series finale, is Adam Wainwright of curveball-to-Carlos Beltran fame, from which the Mets seemingly still have not recovered.

Wednesday’s news reports:

• Top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler experienced soreness in the clavicle in the front of his right shoulder and informed the Triple-A training staff Monday. He will be examined by team doctors in New York today and is likely to miss one start with Las Vegas. The interruption, which is being labeled extreme caution by the Mets, should further ensure Wheeler is not called up until after the deadline for receiving an extra year of arbitration.

Wheeler’s agent, Al Goetz, Marc Carig in Newsday that the issue has “been more of an annoyance than anything else for the last couple of starts.”

Read more in the Star-Ledger, Times, Journal, Post, Record and MLB.com.

• Jordany Valdespin continues to create headlines, even when he does not play.

Responding to a tabloid report, Terry Collins insisted Valdespin did not try to get out of pinch-hitting Saturday in the plate appearance in which he was plunked in the arm by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Collins said Valdespin actually tried to get out of his next at-bat that game because of swelling in the arm.

Collins was adamant Valdespin should bat the second time and not beg out and show weakness to Pittsburgh -- even if it meant just taking pitches.

The manager, agitated by the continued discussion of Valdespin, did open himself up for some public backlash by saying he did not care what the fans thought about how it was handled. Collins should have said he did not care what anybody outside the clubhouse thought about how it was handled. That would have been far more benign.

Valdespin tweeted during the afternoon Tuesday about critics: “They criticize me to lower my self-esteem, but I’m going directly to the top. I wasn’t born to lose.”

Writes columnist Mike Vaccaro in the Post regarding Collins’ fan reference:

Collins probably knew, as soon as he said this, he shouldn’t have said this. He knows the fastest way to be packing your belongings in boxes -- faster than losing games in bunches -- is to take on fans. Fans are undefeated. Fans are a franchise’s lifeblood. Fans ...

Well, fans allow you to stay relevant, long past your expiration date. I’ve believed, and written, that Collins deserves a full and fair accounting before his time is done here. But Collins has also found trouble in Houston and Anaheim when the losing became too much for him. In both cities, he lost the players, and that’s bad enough (and judging from the listless way the Mets mailed in another game with the Cards last night, 10-4, that may be happening again).

Read more in the Star-Ledger, Post, Daily News, Journal, Record and Newsday.

• Scott Atchison landed on the disabled list, although assistant GM John Ricco suggested that Tuesday’s diagnosis was relatively good news. Ricco said inflammation from a bone spur is irritating a nerve. Atchison will take anti-inflammatory medication and be idle for a week. Collin McHugh, a starter with Las Vegas who tossed 100 pitches over seven innings Sunday, will enter the bullpen as a long reliever. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Dillon Gee confessed he was lost for answers after allowing six runs in five innings Tuesday, in a 10-4 loss to the Cardinals. Read game recaps in the Post, Times, Star-Ledger, Daily News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and MLB.com.

• Landon Powell’s emotional story about the death of his infant daughter Izzy on the eve of spring training as well as his own liver issues were profiled on E:60.

• Matt Harvey appears on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.

• Dwight Gooden is a “big fan” of Harvey, writes ESPNNewYork.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk. Read more in Newsday.

• Jason Bay is in the Bronx this week with the Seattle Mariners. The Mets bought out Bay’s contract last offseason. The $21 million owed to him this season by the Mets includes $16 million deferred into 2014 and 2015. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Matt Bowman and T.J. Chism combined on one-hit shutout as St. Lucie beat Brevard County, 4-0. Infielder Brandon Hicks, who was in major league camp before being designated for assignment, appeared in that game -- his first official minor league game with the organization. He had been dealing with a calf injury. Read the full minor league recap here.

• Josh Edgin has been promoted from Double-A Binghamton to Las Vegas.

• The Mets signed right-hander Matt Fox out of York in the independent Atlantic League to use in Las Vegas’ rotation.

• From the bloggers … John Delcos at Mets Report suggests hitting coach Dave Hudgens is being made a scapegoat for the Mets’ hitting woes.

BIRTHDAYS: Right-hander Tyler Walker, who made his major league debut with the Mets in 2002, turns 37.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

If NYM operate cautiously with Wheeler situation, allows them to push back call-up until after enough time passes to push back arb. clock.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) May 15, 2013

YOU’RE UP: Are the Mets snake-bit?

ST. LOUIS -- Left-handed reliever Josh Edgin, who was demoted from the Mets to Double-A Binghamton on April 27, is on the move again. Edgin is shifting to Triple-A Las Vegas.

In five relief appearances for the B-Mets, Edgin had a 7.88 ERA. He allowed 10 hits, including a pair of homers, and five walks while striking out 10 in eight innings.

LAS VEGAS 3, ROUND ROCK 2: The 51s enjoyed a walk-off win as pinch-runner Brian Bixler scored from second on a strikeout. Catcher Robinson Chirinos threw to first baseman Chris McGuiness to complete a Zach Lutz strikeout after the pitch went to the backstop and the plate was left uncovered. Round Rock had pulled even at 2 a half-inning earlier on an RBI single by Chirinos against Greg Burke. Collin McHugh received a no-decision despite tossing seven scoreless innings. McHugh surrendered five hits and no walks. Josh Satin had opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first. Las Vegas won despite producing only three hits. Box

TRENTON 5, BINGHAMTON 1: B-Mets starter Rafael Montero cruised through six innings, but faltered late as the Thunder scored four runs in the seventh. The B-Mets were held hitless for the final seven frames. Facing Trenton starter Jose Ramirez, Cesar Puello got the B-Mets on the board in the second inning by blasting his second homer this season. The long ball extended Puello's hitting streak to 14 games, the longest active streak in Double-A. It proved to be Binghamton’s only run. Ramirez retired the final seven batters he faced before exiting after four innings. Montero dominated the Thunder through six innings. He matched a season-high with eight strikeouts and allowed two baserunners, on a walk and single. His fortunes changed in the seventh. Jose Pirela worked a nine-pitch walk. J.R. Murphy followed by lining a single. With runners on second and third, Slade Heathcott bounced a two-run, go-ahead single up the middle that ended Montero’s night. Josh Edgin entered and issued a two-out walk to Neil Medchill. The southpaw paid for prolonging the inning when Ali Castillo pulled a two-run triple down the first-base line. Trenton added another run off Edgin on an RBI single from Heathcott in the eighth. Thunder reliever Josh Romanski (2-0) struck out four over three perfect innings and Danny Burawa allowed only one runner in two scoreless frames to collect his first save. At one point, the three Trenton pitchers combined to retire 20 consecutive B-Mets. Montero (3-3) allowed three runs on three hits in his third straight loss. He struck out eight and walked two. Box

ST. LUCIE 13, DAYTONA 3: Matt Bowman pitched six innings and struck out seven to earn a win in his Florida State League debut. The Mets (20-11) won their fourth straight game. Bowman allowed three runs and six hits and issued one walk. The Mets jumped to a 3-0 lead in the fourth. Dustin Lawley and Travis Taijeron had solo homers. Charley Thurber ripped an RBI triple to extend the lead. Aderlin Rodriguez later drilled his fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth. The Mets pulled away with an eight-run seventh inning, highlighted by Thurber's three-run double. Box

SAVANNAH 9, HICKORY 6: Eudy Pina had two homers and four RBIs and Phillip Evans added a two-run shot in the seventh. Starter Gabriel Ynoa surrendered four homers in five innings, but earned the win after the Gnats took a 6-5 lead in the sixth on Jayce Boyd's RBI single. Julian Hilario and Tyler Vanderheiden contributed scoreless relief innings. Bret Mitchell earned his fourth save after walking two and striking out two in a scoreless ninth. Box

Compiled from team reports

SACRAMENTO 11, LAS VEGAS 7: In his second 51s start, D.J. Mitchell surrendered seven first-inning runs, although only three were earned because of a one-out throwing error by third baseman Eric Campbell. Las Vegas rallied to tie the score at 7 in the fourth on an RBI double by Josh Satin and run-scoring single by Wilmer Flores. Dylan Owen suffered the loss in relief when he surrendered a tiebreaking solo homer to Scott Moore. Collin Cowgill went 1-for-4 with a walk and a throwing error in his Las Vegas debut. Cowgill started in left field, with Kirk Nieuwenhuis remaining in center. Flores finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Campbell had a pair of doubles and two RBIs in three at-bats. Box

BINGHAMTON 8, HARRISBURG 2: The B-Mets broke a tie with a three-run fourth and four pitchers combined to retire the final 19 Senators hitters. Darrell Ceciliani had three hits, drove in three and scored three times. Richard Lucas had three hits and two RBIs. Facing Harrisburg starter Paul Demny, Alonzo Harris opened the game with a double and scored when Lucas singled. Binghamton took a 2-0 lead on Allan Dysktra's run-scoring groundout in the third. B-Mets starter Erik Goeddel sailed through a pair of innings before laboring through the third. The righty allowed two hits, walked two and surrendered a pair of runs in the 39-pitch frame. Anthony Rendon’s 11-pitch plate appearance ended with a walk and set the stage for Jerad Head’s game-tying two-run single. After Demny walked Goeddel with two outs in the fourth and Rendon misplayed Harris’ chopper, Ceciliani had a two-run single to give Binghamton the lead for good. Lucas tacked on with an RBI double. Head’s hit in the third proved to be Harrisburg’s final baserunner. Goeddel (2-2) retired the final 10 batters he faced. He allowed two runs on three hits and fanned four over six innings to end his four-game winless streak. Joe Bonfe delivered a pinch-hit run-scoring single in the eighth and Ceciliani crushed his first homer of the season, a solo shot, in the ninth. Cesar Puello added a run-producing fielder’s choice. Relievers Adam Kolarek, Josh Edgin and Jeff Walters contributed scoreless frames. The bullpen has retired the last 23 batters it has faced over the three games. Box

ST. LUCIE 10, FORT MYERS 5: Aderlin Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs as the Mets avoided getting swept in the three-game series. Miracle third baseman Miguel Sano hit a three-run homer off St. Lucie starter Robert Gsellman in the first. The Mets answered, loading the bases in the second with no outs. Cam Maron then ripped a bases-clearing double. Rodriguez hit a solo homer in the third to give the Mets a 4-3 lead. Dustin Lawley had a sacrifice fly RBI and Rodriguez added an RBI single in the fifth for a three-run cushion. Lawley also had an RBI double in the seventh to make it 7-3. Travis Taijeron launched his second homer of the season in the eighth. Rodriguez had a two-run double in the ninth. Making his second start, Gsellman earned his first Florida State League victory. All three hits he surrendered in five innings came in the first. He walked three and struck out three. Gsellman retired the final seven batters he faced. Hamilton Bennett pitched two scoreless relief innings. Randy Fontanez allowed an unearned run in the eighth and T. J. Chism allowed a run in the ninth before inducing a game-ending double play. Box

SAVANNAH 9, HICKORY 2: Kevin Plawecki went 3-for-5 and capped the Gnats' scoring with a ninth-inning grand slam. He upped his batting average to .416. The score was tied at 1 until the eighth, when Chad Zurcher delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in what became a four-run frame. Eudy Pina, Stefan Sabol and Phillip Evans scored two runs apiece in the win. Starter Rainy Lara improved to 4-1. Lara limited Hickory to one unearned run on four hits and a walk while striking out six in seven innings. Hunter Carnevale handled the final two innings. He allowed a one-out solo homer to Jorge Alfaro in the bottom of the ninth that capped the scoring. Box

Compiled from team reports

FORT MYERS, Fla.

FIRST PITCH: After a day off, the Mets now open a three-game series in the Chop House.

Shaun Marcum, who pitched in relief Monday and suffered the loss in the 15th inning, makes his second Mets start. Marcum opposes Atlanta Braves left-hander Mike Minor.

Read the series preview here.

Friday’s news reports:

• Matt Harvey’s favorite NHL team may have lost Thursday, but the right-hander did win some hardware. Harvey was named NL Pitcher of the Month for April. Read more in the Daily News and MLB.com.

• Outfielder Andrew Brown is due to join the Mets in Atlanta from Triple-A Las Vegas, a team source told ESPNNewYork.com. Whom will the Mets remove from the active roster? Stay tuned.

• Pedro Feliciano spoke with ESPNNewYork.com about his food-poisoning bout and belief he is ready for the majors now.

• Columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post advocates more Jordany Valdespin. 'Spin has produced more RBIs than Ike Davis, Lucas Duda or Ruben Tejada despite far fewer at-bats. Writes Kernan:

This season is essentially a science project for the Mets, so let’s see what Valdespin can do on an everyday basis in the outfield.

Give him the chance to play every day. Get answers now. After all, it’s not as if the Mets came into the season with an outfield featuring the Upton Brothers and Jason Heyward.

Valdespin explained to Jorge Castillo in the Star-Ledger that he gets a ton of fastballs as a pinch hitter, which may be why he is more successful in that role. “When you have a situation where you start, you’re looking for the pitch they’re getting outs with," Valdespin said in Spanish. "It’s very different. When you’re a pinch-hitter it’s different because they attack you with fastballs and so every time I pinch-hit I look for a fastball."

Writes Castillo on Valdespin:

Valdespin is a .246 career hitter. His career on-base percentage stands at .289, a product of his liberal plate discipline. Even his numbers as a pinch hitter -- besides the power production -- are not enviable: He has a .208 batting average with 17 strikeouts. But his sample size is miniscule -- 117 career games -- and the Mets outfield, besides Lucas Duda, is not producing. Mets outfielders are hitting a combined .220 with a .680 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this season.

Read more on Valdespin in Newsday.

• Mike Kerwick in the Record profiles left-hander Scott Rice, who already has 16 relief appearances through 26 games. Lefty batters are hitting .133 against Rice.

• Seth Livingstone in Newsday examines the post-Chipper Jones Braves.

• John Buck had nine homers in April. Read more on him in the Post.

• Hitting coach Dave Hudgens says the Mets just need to stay calm and with their plan and the offense will right itself. Read more at MLB.com.

• Scott Cacciola in the Times examines what is wrong with Davis. Writes Cacciola:

Davis seemed primed for a solid start, especially after he hit .326 in spring training. Things have not gone as planned. His contact rate, according to the baseball statistics site FanGraphs, is the lowest of his career, at 74 percent. His strikeout rate of 29.1 percent is the highest of his career. His slugging percentage is a spaghetti-armed .315.

The twist is that Davis has continued to exercise decent plate discipline. He does not appear to be pressing more than he has in the past, having swung at a career-low 23.5 percent of the pitches he has seen outside the strike zone. In fact, Hudgens sensed that Davis was more anxious during spring training.

• Columnist Bill Madden in the Daily News writes the Yankees “are a lot better than a lot of people thought they’d be, and the Mets are even worse than most believed.”

• Collin McHugh allowed four runs in five innings as Las Vegas lost to Reno, 5-1. Josh Edgin surrendered a three-run homer and Binghamton was no-hit into the seventh inning in a 9-1 loss. T.J. Chism walked in the winning run in St. Lucie’s 3-2 loss at Fort Myers. Savannah took over sole possession of first place in its South Atlantic League division. Read the full minor league recap here.

• Richard Sandomir in the Times and Ben Cohen in the Journal interview the University of Southern California freshman behind the Twitter account @DidMetsLose2Day.

• From the bloggers … John Delcos at Mets Report doesn’t buy Terry Collins’ reasoning for not starting Jordany Valdespin. … Shannon from Mets Police is getting excited for next Saturday’s Banner Day.

BIRTHDAYS: Catcher Chris Cannizzaro, who played for the Mets during their first four seasons in existence, was born on this date in 1938.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

Tough loss @nyrangers. Next game they are in trouble. Especially when I get back for Monday's game at the garden. #NYRBelieve

— Matt Harvey (@MattHarvey33) May 3, 2013

YOU’RE UP: Whom would you like to see off the 25-man roster to clear a spot for Andrew Brown?

RENO 5, LAS VEGAS 1: Collin McHugh surrendered four runs, including a two-run homer by Brad Snyder, in five innings. McHugh (2-2) allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out four as his ERA rose to 3.57 with his second straight loss. Josh Satin started in left field -- his first outfield action in his six pro seasons. The 51s' lone run came in the third on Wilmer Flores' single, which plated Satin to open the game's scoring. Box

ERIE 9, BINGHAMTON 1: Erie starter Kyle Lobstein took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The B-Mets were held to a season-low two hits. The SeaWolves grabbed an early lead, plating the first run of the game three batters in against B-Mets starter Logan Verrett. Daniel Fields singled, stole second and scored on a double from Ramon Cabrera. Erie put the game out of reach with five runs in the fifth. The first four batters singled. Marcus Lemon contributed an RBI single. Two runs came home when Cabrera beat a potential inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Tyler Collins capped the inning with a two-run homer. Verrett (4-1) was tagged for six runs on eight hits and no walks in six innings in his first Double-A loss. He struck out one -- the fewest in any of his pro starts. Erie kept the offense going against reliever Josh Edgin in the seventh. Hernan Perez tripled and Cabrera walked. Collins then blasted his second homer of the game and fourth of the series to give Erie a 9-0 lead. Binghamton finally ended Lobstein's no-hit bid in the seventh. After a throwing error and a walk put two aboard, Cesar Puello dumped a two-out single into right field. The hit, which extended Puello’s hitting streak to nine games, plated Josh Rodriguez with Binghamton’s lone run. Outfielder Cory Vaughn remained sidelined. He should be out up to a week with elbow soreness. Box

FORT MYERS 3, ST. LUCIE 2: T.J. Chism walked Levi Michael with one out and the bases loaded to score Kyle Knudson from third in the bottom of the ninth and end the game. Doug Mientkiewicz-managed Fort Myers improved to 22-4. Miguel Sano had a two-out, game-tying single against Mets reliever Randy Fontanez in the eighth to make it 2-2. St. Lucie starter Alex Panteliodis tossed five quality innings, allowing only a solo homer, in his Florida State League debut. Pedro Felicano pitched a scoreless sixth and induced an inning-ending double play on a diving stop by second baseman T.J. Rivera. Feliciano allowed a walk and single. Dustin Lawley ripped a double in the first to score Matt Reynolds and give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Aderlin Rodriguez had a sac fly to score Rivera in the fifth for a 2-1 advantage. Noah Syndergaard starts Friday for St. Lucie. Box

SAVANNAH 5, KANNAPOLIS 3: After a 92-minute rain delay at the start, the Gnats needed just 2:04 to earn their eighth win in nine games. With losses by Augusta and Asheville, the Gnats are alone in first place for the first time all season. The Gnats took a 4-3 lead in the sixth. Jayce Boyd led off with a sharp one-hopper that shortstop Jean Almanzar booted. Kevin Plawecki drove in Boyd with a double -- his league-leading 16th two-bagger of the year. Trailing 3-0, Savannah had evened the score with a three-run fourth. Eudy Pina and Yucarybert De La Cruz singled to begin the frame. Boyd plated both with his 10th double this season. Boyd scored the tying run on a wild pitch by Kannapolis starter Myles Jaye. The Intimidators built a 3-0 lead through three innings against Savannah starter Gabriel Ynoa, who nonetheless hung in though seven innings for his third win. The Intimidators used a pair of solo homers -- by Brett Tanner leading off the second inning and by Kale Kiser with one out in the third -- to hurt Ynoa. However, the 19-year-old hurler steadied himself and faced the minimum over his final four innings. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter. 2011 first-round pick Brandon Nimmo sat out for a second straight game with mild hand soreness. Box

Compiled from team reports

MIAMI

FIRST PITCH: Now what?

The Mets lost a Matt Harvey start for the first time this season. They now send Jeremy Hefner to the mound at 7:10 tonight against right-hander Kevin Slowey, trying to snap the team’s five-game losing skid.

After a two-run homer Monday, John Buck enters the final game of the month tied with Carlos Delgado (2006) and Dave Kingman (1976) for the franchise record for homers in April with nine. Buck (25) trails Jeff Kent by one for the Mets record for RBIs in the month.

Tuesday’s news reports:

• The Mets twice squandered one-run leads while three outs from victory and lost to the Miami Marlins, 4-3, Monday night in a 15-inning game that lasted five hours, 31 minutes. The Mets (10-14) dropped a season-low four games under .500. Read game recaps in the Post, Daily News, Newsday, Journal, Times, Record, Star-Ledger and MLB.com.

• Shaun Marcum volunteered for relief duty Monday. He suffered the loss, but predicted the outing would not impede his ability to start Friday in Atlanta on turn. Backup catcher Anthony Recker was next in line to pitch.

• Harvey struggled with command of his fastball and had a high pitch count, but he nonetheless gutted through 5 1/3 innings while limiting Miami to one run. The ninth-inning meltdown long after Harvey’s departure -- which was as much the responsibility of Collin Cowgill in center field as closer Bobby Parnell -- deprived Harvey of joining Pedro Martinez and Dwight Gooden as the only players in franchise history to go 5-0 in April.

• David Wright was held out of the series opener with neck stiffness, but ultimately decided to pinch hit in the 13^th inning. Wright struck out looking. He was unsure if he would be capable of starting tonight, but resolved to have a short absence. Read more in the Daily News, Newsday, Record, Star-Ledger and MLB.com.

• Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton landed on the DL postgame with a right hamstring strain.

• Zack Wheeler is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA through five starts with Triple-A Las Vegas. The organization’s top prospect told columnist John Harper in the Daily News the Pacific Coast League conditions have been a challenge. Wheeler is due to pitch today at 2:35 p.m. ET in Reno opposite former major leaguer Garrett Mock.

“I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal, but it’s always in the back of your mind,” Wheeler told Harper about the West Coast games. “You’re going to get hit from time to time, but sometimes you make a pitch and you say, ‘Man, that was a good pitch, but it was still off the wall.’ It makes you second-guess yourself when it really shouldn’t. It’s human nature, but you’ve gotta keep your head on straight and go out and battle. …

“It’s hard being from the East Coast, and being used to the humidity, the moisture. Every time after I throw a pitch, I’ve gotta lick my fingers. Sometimes, before I even throw the next pitch, I’ve gotta step off and lick them again because my fingers are already dry again. And the balls are slick as crap. It takes some adjusting.”

• Wright told reporters about NBA player Jason Collins, who announced he is gay. “It’s very admirable. Obviously, it’s a different sport. But if you can play the game I don’t care the color of your skin, sexual orientation, religion. If you can play the game, come on in. You’re welcome. … Hopefully that allows individuals to express themselves.”

Said LaTroy Hawkins to Anthony DiComo at MLB.com: "Everybody knows somebody who's gay. If you can't deal with it in 2013, you need to go somewhere and hide in a cave."

Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Hefner has a 2.21 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Marlins, notes Mike Puma in the Post.

• Ex-Yankees right-hander D.J. Mitchell took a scoreless effort into the sixth in his Vegas debut and the 51s beat Reno, 9-5, to snap a five-game losing streak. Josh Edgin recorded two scoreless innings in his first game with Double-A Binghamton, although he needed outfielder Cory Vaughn to throw out a runner at the plate to keep Erie off the scoreboard against him. Rylan Sandoval hit a grand slam and Pedro Feliciano made his first appearance since a food-poisoning scare as St. Lucie beat the Tampa Yankees, 7-1. Read the full minor league recap here.

• Frank Francisco threw 15 pitches in an intrasquad game in Port St. Lucie. The Mets did not say how that abbreviated appearance went.

• From the bloggers … Faith and Fear in Flushing looks at an unhappy day on a fan's baseball calendar. … The Eddie Kranepool Society notes April 2013 will mark five straight months the Mets have posted a losing record. … Shannon from Mets Police prefers AM to FM when listening to Mets games.

BIRTHDAYS: Left-hander Bob Hendley, who made 13 starts for the Mets in 1967 at the end of his major league career, was born on this date in 1939.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

KKKKKKK #MATTHARVEYKCOUNT

— Dwight Gooden (@DocGooden16) April 30, 2013

YOU’RE UP: Will the Mets see .500 again this season?

LAS VEGAS 9, RENO 5: Ex-Yankee D.J. Mitchell took a scoreless effort into the sixth before reliever Sean Henn allowed an inherited run charged to Mitchell to score. Mitchell's final line in his Triple-A debut with the organization after signing as a free agent: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. The 51s built a 9-0 lead en route to snapping a five-game losing streak. Brian Bixler, Andrew Brown and Wilmer Flores drove in two runs apiece. Greg Peavey was charged with three runs in relief. Box

BINGHAMTON 4, ERIE 3: Cesar Puello’s two-run double capped a four-run eighth in Binghamton's come-from-behind win. The B-Mets used three hits and two Erie errors in the decisive frame after getting handcuffed for seven innings by Erie starter Warwick Saupold. Facing reliever Michael Morrison and trailing 3-0, Alonzo Harris reached on third baseman Corey Jones’ fielding error. Darrell Ceciliani followed with a single and Josh Rodriguez walked to load the bases. With Allan Dykstra at the plate, catcher James McCann fired to third in attempt to nab Harris. The throw skipped into left field, allowing Harris to score. Dykstra followed with an RBI double, cutting Erie’s lead to one. Puello capped the comeback by bouncing a go-ahead double down the first base-line, plating Rodriguez and Dykstra. The SeaWolves had jumped out to an early lead by tagging B-Mets starter Erik Goeddel for three runs in the first four innings. Daniel Field homered in the first, McCann collected an RBI single in the third and Luis Castillo added a run-scoring double in the fourth. Goeddel battled to complete five innings and handed the reins to Josh Edgin in the sixth. The lefty allowed two hits, but no runs thanks to Cory Vaughn’s strong throw to the plate, which retired Castillo to end the inning. Edgin returned for the seventh and posted a perfect frame in his first game since a demotion from the Mets. Vaughn left the game after that throw with a sensation in his arm, according to the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. Chase Huchingson (1-0) retired all three batters he faced in the eighth and became the winner after Binghamton’s four-run frame. Box

ST. LUCIE 7, TAMPA 1: First baseman Rylan Sandoval's sixth-inning grand slam staked St. Lucie to a 7-0 lead. Sandoval went 3-for-5 and drove in five runs. Starter Robert Gsellman tossed four scoreless innings in his season debut. Pedro Feliciano also contributed a scoreless inning in his first Florida State League action since returning from a food-poisoning scare. Feliciano surrendered one hit and struck out one. Chasen Bradford closed out the game with two scoreless relief innings. Leadoff hitter T.J. Rivera went 2-for-5 and scored twice. Box

WEST VIRGINIA 10, SAVANNAH 1: West Virginia snapped Savannah's six-game winning streak as Power DH Stetson Allie pounded a pair of homers that accounted for five runs. With eight homers, Allie is now tied for the South Atlantic League lead. His second homer of the night, a rare opposite-field shot at Historic Grayson Stadium, gave the Power an 8-0 lead in the seventh. The Gnats (15-9) scored their only run in the eighth when Chad Zurcher doubled down the left-field line to bring home Stefan Sabol. The Gnats have not been shut in 2013. Savannah starter Luis Cessa allowed six runs (five earned) on 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and did not walk a batter while taking his first loss of the season. Power starter Tyler Glasnow earned his first career victory for shutting out the Gnats through five innings with seven strikeouts and two hits allowed. Box

Compiled from team reports

FIRST PITCH: The Mets will try to avoid getting swept as Jonathon Niese heads to the mound at 1:10 p.m. today opposite winless Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels.

Niese will be making his first start since getting nailed on the right ankle by a comebacker Tuesday off the bat of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mark Elllis.

Hamels is 5-10 with a 4.33 ERA in 21 career starts against the Mets.

Terry Collins suggested outfielders Marlon Byrd and Juan Lagares likely would be in the starting lineup.

Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz is due to be activated after serving a 25-game suspension related to amphetamines.

Sunday’s news reports:

• Shaun Marcum surrendered three runs in four innings and was dissatisfied with his Mets debut. Robert Carson then served up homers to Domonic Brown and John Mayberry Jr. in the fifth as the Met lost to the Phillies, 9-4, Saturday at Citi Field. The Mets have now lost eight of their past nine games against Philadelphia. Read game recaps in the Post, Daily News, Times, Star-Ledger, Record, Newsday, Philadelphia Inquirer and MLB.com.

• The Mets demoted Josh Edgin to clear the roster spot for Marcum. Edgin reported to Binghamton, not Las Vegas, because the offense-first Pacific Coast League is not conducive to getting on track. Read more in the Record, Daily News, Star-Ledger, Newsday and MLB.com.

• Steve Serby in the Post has a Q&A with John Buck, who homered in the ninth inning Friday. It was Buck’s eighth long ball in April, matching Mike Piazza (2001) and Todd Hundley (1996) for most by a catcher in the opening month in franchise history. The overall Mets record for April is nine homers, by Carlos Delgado (2006) and Dave Kingman (1976). Among Buck’s exchanges with Serby:

Q: You and your wife grew up together in Salt Lake City. How did you propose?

A: “I was at one of her last volleyball games [at Snow College]. They called her to the 10-foot line at a volleyball game. ... I proposed to her at the 10-foot line in her volleyball game."

Buck also notes that Harvey reminds him of Zack Greinke.

• Cody Derespina in Newsday goes inside the numbers of Buck’s April production, which has tailed off despite Friday’s long ball.

• Attendance seems to get a modest bump at Citi Field with Harvey on the mound. As for ratings on SNY, they’re 14 percent higher in games Harvey starts, according to Bob Raissman in the Daily News.

• Mike Kerwick in the Record suggests waiting a little while before erecting a statue in Harvey’s honor.

• Frank Francisco and Jenrry Mejia are progressing after injuries.

• Columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post suggests there is “no relief in sight” for the Mets.

• Columnist Tim Smith in the Daily News says Marcum fit in with all the other Mets starting pitchers not named Harvey.

• Terry Collins stuck to his reconfigured lineup for a second straight day Saturday. Read more in the Post.

• Logan Verrett improved to 4-0 as Double-A Binghamton beat Akron 7-2. Rainy Lara tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings in low-A Savannah’s 1-0 win against West Virginia. Read the full minor league recap here.

• Gregg Sarra in Newsday chats with St. Lucie catcher Cam Maron, who hails from Hicksville, Long Island.

• R.A. Dickey faces the Yankees in the Bronx today. Read more in the Post.

• From the bloggers … Faith and Fear in Flushing thought extended spring training continued Saturday at Citi Field … Shannon from Mets Police is watching his favorite baseball team and thinks, "I have a bad feeling about this."

BIRTHDAYS: Dillon Gee turns 27. … Jorge Sosa, who is pitching in Japan for the second straight season, is 35.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

We held our breath as long as we could they still lost. #mets instagram.com/p/Yn4W4eH9Hi/

— Chad Elliott (@chadelliottsr) April 27, 2013

YOU’RE UP: Whom should Terry Collins start in the outfield today against left-hander Cole Hamels?

WHAT IT MEANS: The Mets demoted Josh Edgin to Double-A Binghamton before Saturday's game against the Phillies to clear a spot for Shaun Marcum.

Both of the left-handed relievers to survive that cut now have experienced meltdowns in recent days.

Inserted for Marcum to open the fifth inning with the Mets trailing by a run, Robert Carson surrendered five runs, including a three-run homer to Domonic Brown and solo shot to John Mayberry Jr.

The Phillies ultimately beat the Mets, 9-4, at Citi Field.

Carson's subpar appearance came two days after Scott Rice, the other lefty in the bullpen, was charged with two ninth-inning runs and suffered his first major league loss.

The Mets' MLB-worst bullpen ERA rose to 5.28.

The Mets (10-12) dropped to two games under .500. They are 5-0 in games started by Matt Harvey and 5-12 otherwise.

FOUR-LORN: Marcum lasted four innings in his Mets debut. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three in a 71-pitch effort.

Marcum departed for pinch-hitter Justin Turner with runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the fourth and the Mets trailing, 3-2. Turner took a called third strike from Phillies rookie starter Jonathan Pettibone (5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER).

Could Marcum have continued? Perhaps for another inning. But the Mets have been struggling for runs. And Marcum barely had ramped up in preparation for his Mets debut anyway.

Marcum threw only 52 in-game pitches in an extended spring training game Monday in Florida, but was declared ready for a regular-season game.

Marcum's fastball sat at 85 mph, with an occasional 86 mph Saturday. All three runs against him came in the third inning -- on Chase Utley's RBI double, a wild pitch and Ryan Howard's sacrifice fly.

BUCK SHOT: John Buck had a solo homer in the ninth, giving him 23 RBIs. That's the most April RBIs since David Wright also had 23 in 2008. The franchise record for the month is by Jeff Kent (26 in April 1994). Buck has eight homers.

WHAT'S NEXT: Jonathon Niese starts on turn after being forced from his last outing in the third inning because he was struck in the right ankle with a sharp comebacker. Niese (2-1, 3.81 ERA) opposes winless Cole Hamels (0-3, 5.40) in Sunday's 1:10 p.m. series finale as the Mets attempt to avoid getting swept.

Demoting Josh Edgin was no great surprise, even to Edgin himself. Sending Edgin to Double-A Binghamton rather than Triple-A Las Vegas was an interesting twist.

Terry Collins said there were two factors involved in the Eastern League assignment: Having Edgin close to New York in case there was an injury and he needed to quickly return. And, secondly and likely more of a factor: The offense-first Pacific Coast League just isn't conducive to a pitcher trying to get back on track.

The decision marks the first time in the Mets' first-year affiliation with Las Vegas that they clearly have avoided sending a pitcher there.

"It's not that there's something wrong with his arm. It's that, right now, when you start struggling for the first time in your career, it gets in your head," Collins said. "The worst place you can send a pitcher who is struggling mentally is to Las Vegas, or to Colorado Springs, or to Albuquerque -- one of those places where you make a good pitch and the guy hits a two-run double. So I just said, 'Go to Binghamton. You know what? You're close. You're going to get your confidence back.' That's what it's all about -- when you're on the mound you know you're going to make the pitch and you're going to get an out. Some of those other parks in that Coast league -- I love the Coast League, I spent 13 years there -- but if you're struggling mentally, it's not the place you want to be."

Collins in recent days had suggested last year's extreme usage might be resulting in Edgin not performing well this year. Asked to elaborate on what is different with Edgin's pitches, Collins said: "I only go on my experiences of seeing a young pitcher who gets up and down that many times, it's just that their arm doesn't respond. They're not making the pitches. There's just not the crispness on the fastball. And I don't mean, necessarily, velocity. Because his velocity has been OK. I mean, last night he was 93 mph. The one night in, I think it was Minnesota, he threw 95. So we know it's still there."

Collins is convinced any sluggishness resulting from the 2012 workload will come back -- even if it takes a month or six weeks. The manager speculated Edgin may also have been a little overwhelmed given the birth of his first child during spring training.

Edgin said he feels fine.

"It doesn't feel any different," Edgin said about his arm. "It's just different getting used to it, how they use you and stuff."

He could not quibble with the demotion.

"I was throwing like crap," Edgin said. "Obviously all the guys that are throwing well, I wouldn't want to see them go.

"Even though I am throwing like crap, I don't think they want to see me go," he continued. "And I'm throwing like crap. I'm going to go down and get things fixed and I'll be back here."

The Mets have dispatched Josh Edgin to Double-A Binghamton to clear a roster spot for Shaun Marcum.

Edgin, 26, was a lock for the bullpen out of spring training, leaving Scott Rice and Robert Carson to battle it out for the role as the second left-hander. But he has struggled this season. Despite a 1-2-3 ninth inning Friday night against the bottom of Philadelphia's lineup, Edgin has a 9.64 ERA. Lefties are hitting .350 (7-for-20) against him.

Rice and Carson are now the two left-handers in the bullpen.

The Mets chose not to send Edgin to Triple-A Las Vegas, where it would have been more difficult to get on track because of the Pacific Coast League's offensive nature.