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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday's news reports:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Regarding Nieuwenhuis, Barbara Barker writes in Newsday:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jon Niese surrendered a career-high four homers and matched a career high by allowing eight runs as the Mets were routed by the Toronto Blue Jays, 14-5, Friday at Rogers Centre. Catcher Rob Johnson proved the Mets' most effective pitcher, tossing a 1-2-3 eighth while topping out at 87 mph with his fastball and utilizing three pitches. Left-hander Robert Carson also tossed a scoreless frame in his major league debut. The Mets look to get back on track Saturday with Miguel Batista, coming off seven scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, opposing Brandon Morrow.

Saturday's news reports:

• Right-hander Jeremy Hefner is expected to be promoted from Triple-A Buffalo and join the Mets on Saturday, baseball sources told ESPNNewYork.com. We should learn the corresponding move this morning. If no one lands on the DL, it would seem possible that Hefner gets Manny Acosta's roster spot. Otherwise, the Mets could send Carson immediately back to the minors. Hefner tossed three scoreless innings for the Mets in his major league debut against San Francisco, then immediately returned to Buffalo.

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

• Ken Rosenthal reports Roy Oswalt auditioned for the Phillies and Red Sox, and also will do so for two other teams. He will not land with the Mets, ESPNNewYork.com is assured.

• The area surrounding Citi Field, which has been part of eminent domain claims, has more concrete plans for redevelopment. The Associated Press writes:

Under the agreement, the developers, Related Companies and Sterling Equities, would clean up the area and construct retail stores, including a mall in the Queens neighborhood. Then, no later than 2025, they would start construction on a mixed-use component that would include housing and measure anywhere from 1.3 million square feet up to 4.5 million square feet. The founders of Sterling Equities are Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, the owners of the Mets.

• Terry Collins plans to for David Wright to rest on Saturday, which was prearranged before Wright became sick. The Mets are in a 20-games-in-20-days stretch. Wright actually was pulled from Friday's game in the bottom of the sixth with the Mets trailing, 10-1. Before departing, Wright recorded his 1,300th career high, matching Jose Reyes for second on the franchise's all-time list. He can now set his sights on Ed Kranepool's record: 1,418. Wright's average sits at .409. Read more in the Daily News and Star-Ledger.

• Citi Field will be packed Sunday, even though the Mets are away. A group of ultra-orthodox Jews has rented the stadium for a gathering to discuss the evils of the internet. Read more from the AP via USA Today.

• The stadium also will host a Latin-themed concert, on July 14. The scheduled performers: Gloria Estefan, Ricardo Arjona, Juanes, Alejandro Sanz, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Paulina Rubio, Prince Royce, Jenny Rivera, Tito El Bambino, Toño Rosario, Plan B, Silvestre Dangond and Secreto among others. Tickets to go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. at Tickets.com, by calling (718) 507-TIXX and at Citi Field.

• Collins said Ike Davis is not platooning, and will start Monday in Pittsburgh against left-hander Erik Bedard. Justin Turner started Friday against former college roommate/southpaw Ricky Romero. Read more in Newsday.

• Johnson said he nearly pitched in a game with the Padres last season against the Reds. He threw one inning in college, but had not been a pitcher since high school. Todd Zeile was the Mets' last position player to pitch, eight years ago. Read more in the Post and Record.

• Jason Bay ran and played catch at Rogers Centre on Friday, and Collins said the left fielder should take batting practice during the next series, in Pittsburgh, as Bay aims to ramp up activity toward a return from a fractured rib. Josh Thole, cleared for physical activity following a concussion suffered nearly two weeks ago, should head to Port St. Lucie after the weekend. Ruben Tejada (quadriceps) is fielding grounders but not running the bases. Chris Young's next minor league start, which would have occurred Sunday had he stayed on an every-five-days schedule, has been delayed, but for a good reason -- his wife is having a baby. Jenrry Mejia's third minor league start since Tommy John surgery is scheduled for today, with Double-A Binghamton.

• Class A St. Lucie second baseman Danny Muno was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, MLB announced. Read more in Newsday.

• Jared Diamond in the Journal discusses Bobby Parnell's role. Writes Diamond:

On the surface, this seems like the perfect antidote to the Mets' most pressing issue: They desperately need help surviving the late innings of games. New closer Frank Francisco owns a ghastly 8.04 ERA, while setup man Jon Rauch lost two games in the last two weeks alone. The Mets' cumulative bullpen ERA of 5.00 ranks 28th in baseball. As virtually every Mets reliever besides Parnell continues to struggle, it raises a reasonable question: Why not start trusting Parnell in more pressure-filled situations? Sounds simple enough, but as the Mets learned last season, it doesn't always work out quite so easily. "With what Bobby went through last fall, I'm going to try to avoid that and let him build up to that closer's role," manager Terry Collins said.

• Tim Bontemps in the Post chats with Binghamton third baseman Jefry Marte.

• Matt Harvey struck out a season-high 11 batters and Valentino Pascucci homered twice as Triple-A Buffalo beat Gwinnett, 5-3, Saturday. A scout who watched Harvey originally expressed disappointment with the prospect not throwing a changeup until his 42nd pitch and 10th batter faced. But, the scout added, Harvey ultimately threw 10 changeups by the end of the night and was "very good after a rough first inning" that included surrendering a pair of solo homers. Read Friday's full minor league recap here.

TRIVIA: Which players were involved in the last Mets-Jays trade?

Friday's answer: John Gibbons managed the Jays in 2006, the last time the Mets visited Rogers Centre.

The Mets are planning to promote right-hander Jeremy Hefner from Triple-A Buffalo for Saturday's game at Toronto, a baseball source told ESPNNewYork.com.

Hefner would allow the Mets to have coverage in case Miguel Batista has a short outing and also shake up a struggling bullpen.

The Mets did not announce the move, and it was not clear who would be the roster casualty. But Manny Acosta was charged with five runs in two innings Friday night in the Mets' 14-5 loss against the Blue Jays as his ERA ballooned to 10.53 and would be a logical candidate. It is not clear if there is otherwise a disabled-list candidate. Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch, Bobby Parnell and Tim Byrdak would not appear options, leaving only Ramon Ramirez otherwise unless Robert Carson would make an abrupt U-turn to the minors.

Hefner tossed three scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants in his major league debut on April 23 in Game 1 of a doubleheader, after which he immediately returned to Triple-A. Working as a starter with the Bisons, the 26-year-old Hefner is 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in seven outings.

Buffalo is only a 90-minute drive from Toronto.

WHAT IT MEANS: Jon Niese surrendered a career-high four homers and matched a career high by surrendering eight runs while lasting only three innings as the Mets were drubbed in their first game in Toronto in six years.

The Blue Jays blasted five homers overall and routed the Mets 14-5 on Friday night at Rogers Centre.

Catcher Rob Johnson pitched the eighth inning and was among the more effective pitchers. He retired the Jays in order that frame. It was Johnson’s first professional experience as a pitcher in the majors or minors. Todd Zeile was the last position player to be used on the mound by the Mets -- on July 26, 2004, at Montreal, in a 19-10 loss.

J.P. Arencibia and Rajai Davis had two homers apiece Friday. Arencibia became the third player this season to have a six-RBI game against the Mets, joining Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez and Houston’s Chris Johnson.

Chris Capuano was the last Met to serve up four long balls in a game, on May 21 of last season against the Yankees. The franchise record is five homers allowed, by Roger Craig in 1963.

Three innings matched the fourth-shortest start of Niese’s career. He also allowed eight runs last Aug. 23 against the Phillies, as well as in 2010 against the Braves.

Niese consecutively struck out Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, who have a combined 23 homers, with two runners aboard in the first in a scoreless game. However, the southpaw then served up a three-run homer to Arencibia. Before that long ball, batters had been 1-for-36 against Niese with two outs this season.

Arencibia had two of the four homers against Niese. Brazilian-born Yan Gomes also went deep -- his first major league homer. The first of Davis’ two homers came against Niese. The other came against Manny Acosta during a four-run sixth by the Jays that opened a 14-1 lead.

After three runners inherited by Ramon Ramirez all scored, Acosta ultimately was charged with five runs in two innings as his ERA swelled to 10.53.

Scott Hairston’s three-run homer capped an inconsequential four-run eighth for the Mets.

WRIGHT STUFF: David Wright’s first-inning double gave him 1,300 career hits, tying him with Jose Reyes for second on the franchise’s all-time list. Ed Kranepool ranks first with 1,418 hits, although it took Kranepool 18 seasons as a Met to amass that total. Wright went 1-for-3 and is now hitting .409.

Wright, fighting a severe head cold, was pulled in the bottom of the sixth with the Mets trailing by nine runs. Jordany Valdespin entered at shortstop and Ronny Cedeno moved to third base. Wright is due to get the day off Saturday.

DEBUTANT: Robert Carson made his major league debut in the seventh with the Mets trailing by 13 runs. The southpaw worked around a two-out walk to Colby Rasmus to put up a scoreless frame.

WHAT’S NEXT: Miguel Batista (1-1, 4.26 ERA), fresh off tossing seven scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, opposes right-hander Brandon Morrow (4-2, 2.22) on Saturday at 1:07 p.m. Mike Baxter should be the extra bat in the lineup.

WHAT IT MEANS: Maybe that two-year, $12 million deal Frank Francisco received this offseason could have been better spent elsewhere.

For the second time in the series, Francisco botched a save chance as the Mets suffered another gut-wrenching defeat. This time it came Sunday, in an 8-4 loss in the rubber game against the Miami Marlins.

Asked to protect a 4-2 lead after a dramatic top of the ninth that included Justin Turner’s two-out, full-count, two-run double with the bases loaded, Francisco allowed all three batters he faced to reach, including one run to score.

And Francisco was not done even after being pulled for Manny Acosta.

Rather than head directly to the dugout, Francisco headed toward the plate, where he jawed with umpire Todd Tichenor. Even though Francisco was being pulled from the game, Tichenor made it doubly official by ejecting him. Terry Collins had to intercede so things did not get out of hand.

It was another miserable day all around for the bullpen.

Acosta surrendered a game-tying sacrifice fly to Jose Reyes, then eventually loaded the bases with two out by plunking Austin Kearns. Giancarlo Stanton ended it with a grand slam.

Earlier, Jon Niese tossed six scoreless innings, then got pulled at 99 pitches with the Mets leading 2-0, two out and two runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh. Ike Davis, who had been scratched because of the flu, grounded out back to Carlos Zambrano as a pinch hitter as the threat went for naught.

Then the bullpen immediately let the Mets down.

Two batters into the bottom half of the inning, Ramon Ramirez had surrendered a leadoff triple to Emilio Bonifacio and two-run homer to John Buck as the Marlins evened the score at 2.

TURNER CLASSIC: Turner stood to be the hero before the bottom-of-the-ninth meltdown.

Turner had walked against Heath Bell with the bases loaded in New York to complete a 13-pitch faceoff and force in a tying run. This time, Turner fouled off one full-count offering with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth and the score tied at 2. Turner, pinch hitting, sent the next pitch into right field for a two-run double.

Daniel Murphy began the ninth-inning drama with a one-out double. Ronny Cedeno followed with a walk. Both advanced on Jordany Valdespin’s groundout. The Marlins then chose to intentionally walk Mike Baxter with first base open and have Bell go up against the righty-hitting Turner.

WRIGHT WATCH: David Wright went 1-for-3 with a walk, dipping his average to .400. Wright’s fourth-inning single advanced Kirk Nieuwenhuis to second base. Both moved ahead a base on a passed ball. They then scored the game’s opening runs on Lucas Duda’s RBI groundout and Murphy’s RBI single.

Wright went 13-for-27 on the six-game road trip.

OFF TRACK: Andres Torres’ streak of reaching base in every game in which he has appeared ended Sunday at 12. Torres went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.

WHAT’S NEXT: After a 4-2 road trip to Philly and Miami, the Mets return to Citi Field to open two-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers and then the Cincinnati Reds. Miguel Batista (0-1, 5.89 ERA) makes his second start in Mike Pelfrey’s former rotation spot Monday, opposite Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo (2-3, 5.35).

Recap | Box score | Photos

WHAT IT MEANS: David Wright went 4-for-6 to lift his average to a National League-leading .402. He also homered and produced three RBIs as the Mets bounced back from a ninth-inning defeat in the series opener.

R.A. Dickey limited Miami to two runs in six innings in the 9-3 victory Saturday at Marlins Park. The knuckleballer improved to 5-1.

Dickey was plunked by Ricky Nolasco on the right forearm with a pitch in the fifth inning with the bases loaded to force in a run, but remained in the game.

Nolasco remained stuck at 68 career wins, tied with Dontrelle Willis for the most in a Marlins uniform.

Wright delivered a first-inning RBI single after consecutive walks to Andres Torres and Kirk Nieuwenhuis to open the game. Two innings later, after Miami had pulled even at 1, Wright restored the lead with an opposite-field solo homer against Nolasco, against whom he is now hitting .400 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 60 career at-bats.

The Mets' lead grew to 3-1 in the fourth after Brett Hayes was called for catcher's interference on a would-be flyout by Torres, which prolonged the inning for an RBI single by Nieuwenhuis.

After Mike Nickeas and Dickey were consecutively hit by pitches by Nolasco in the fifth, the Mets grabbed a 6-1 lead when Torres delivered a two-run single that chased Nolasco.

BYRD THE WORD: Tim Byrdak entered in the seventh inning to bail out Manny Acosta after the Marlins had pulled within 7-3. For the second straight game, Byrdak struck out Logan Morrison to strand a runner in scoring position, although Morrison complained to plate umpire Tony Randazzo about his called third strike this time. Byrdak was making his 20^th appearance. He now is on pace for 98 appearances.

REYES OF LIGHT: Jose Reyes went 4-for-5 Saturday against his former club.

WHAT'S NEXT: Jon Niese (2-1, 4.01 ERA) opposes Carlos Zambrano (1-2, 1.98) in Sunday’s 1:10 p.m. series finale.

The Mets overcame a four-run deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-4, on Tuesday. It was the Mets' 10th come-from-behind win this season, matching the Atlanta Braves for the most in Major League Baseball.

On Wednesday, Dillon Gee opposes Cliff Lee with the Mets aiming for their first three-game sweep in Philly since June 13-15, 2006. David Wright homered in each game of that series.

"When you've got a young team, they're going to at times make you pull your hair out," Terry Collins said. "But, for the most part, they fight back and they play nine innings."

Wednesday's news reports:

• Josh Thole landed on the seven-day DL with a concussion, although Sandy Alderson projected the catcher will nearly certainly miss more than that time, because doctors have advised Thole to remain idle for a week or more before doing any activity whatsoever. The Mets promoted catcher Rob Johnson from Triple-A Buffalo and transferred Pedro Beato to the 60-day disabled list. Beato has been working back from a shoulder issue at the Mets' complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Alderson said Mets doctors evaluated Ruben Tejada for a concussion as well because of Sunday's tumble at Citi Field, but the shortstop was cleared. Tejada landed on the DL on Monday with a strained right quadriceps.

Ty Wigginton, who delivered the blow that nailed Thole on Monday night, told Zach Schonbrun in the Times: "I didn’t even know honestly that I made contact with him. I get to the dugout and turn around and he’s just laying there. I saw the replay and realized my shoulder got him. I didn’t realize it was anything like that.” Read more in the Star-Ledger, Post, Daily News and Newsday.

• Jenrry Mejia is due to throw 75 pitches in a start for Class A St. Lucie on Wednesday. Chris Young is scripted to go that same length Thursday for the same Florida State League club. Both pitchers underwent surgery last May 16. Mejia is returning from Tommy John surgery. Young is returning from surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his right shoulder, which is the same procedure Johan Santana underwent the previous September.

• Collins said Miguel Batista will remain in the rotation for another turn in Mike Pelfrey's former slot. Batista was charged with four runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings, although he needed Manny Acosta to strand two runners in scoring position in the sixth to hold the damage to that level.

• Jordany Valdespin on Wednesday should receive the baseball from his first major league hit -- Monday's tiebreaking, ninth-inning homer off Jonathan Papelbon. The ball actually was thrown back onto the field after Valdespin's long ball, but a ball girl flipped it back into the stands to a child, who departed the stadium. According to Mets PR man Jay Horwitz, the father of that child heard Tom McCarthy mention it on the Phillies TV telecast and recognized it was his son whom McCarthy was describing. The man contacted the Mets, who have made arrangements for the entire family to come to Citizens Bank Park for the series finale. Read more in Newsday.

• The tying run in the four-run seventh Tuesday scored when Wright got caught in a rundown between first and second and Kirk Nieuwenhuis eventually scampered home from third base. Collins and Wright portrayed it as a heady play by Wright to prevent Nieuwenhuis from being nailed at the plate by right fielder Hunter Pence, but that seemed like a stretch. After all, Nieuwenhuis had started the play on first base and had only just rounded second when Pence fielded the ball. No matter. It worked out for the best as second baseman Pete Orr errantly flung the ball to third base, allowing Nieuwenhuis to scamper home to draw the Mets even at 4.

Nieuwenhuis and Lucas Duda each had RBIs in the seventh and ninth innings. Both of Duda's came against left-handed relievers -- Antonio Bastardo and Joe Savery. Duda entered the game hitting .154 (4-for-26) against southpaws this season. "I kind of struggled throughout the first part of the season with lefties," Duda said. "Luckily, the ball found some space and I got a hit. Guys got on, and I swung the bat and hit the ball, and it was a base hit."

Collins said he was considering pinch hitting for Duda in the seventh before Wright's rundown allowed Nieuwenhuis to score and make it 4-4. Duda followed with the go-ahead RBI hit against Bastardo.

Said Collins about Duda: "Those were big hits. As a matter of fact, we were sitting there today. Lucas has been struggling a little bit against lefties. But the fact that he had the flu so bad -- he's really been struggling -- I'm really concerned about the fatigue factor more than anything. We were talking about the possibility of, 'Hey, look, if the bases are loaded, we might have to hit for him here.'"

• Read game recaps from Tuesday's win, which lifted the Mets to four games over .500, in the Post, Times, Star-Ledger, Newsday, Record and Daily News.

• Columnist Ken Davidoff in the Post seems like he's starting to believe. Writes Davidoff:

It’s a typical Mets con job, right? Gotta be. No, no -- not that type of con job. They beat that rap. I’m talking about the Mets’ annual first-half surge that fires up their fan base, only to lead to second-half heartbreak and apathy. Well, after witnessing the Mets outlast and outwit the Phillies last night, 7-4 at Citizens Bank Park, it should be said: If this early charge proves nothing more than a mirage, then kudos to the Mets for putting on a particularly enjoyable sell.

• Matt Harvey tossed six scoreless innings in Buffalo's 3-0 win at Gwinnett, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Read Tuesday's full minor league recap here.

TRIVIA: For which team did Omir Santos make his major league debut?

Tuesday's answer: Warren Spahn is the oldest player to have thrown a pitch for the Mets. He was 44 years, 78 days old when he faced Houston on July 10, 1965.

WHAT IT MEANS: The Mets overcame their largest deficit of the season -- four runs -- and produced their 10^th come-from-behind victory of the season with a 7-4 win against the Phillies on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

The Mets (17-13) matched their high-water mark at four games over .500, which they also reached at 4-0, 6-2, 7-3 and 13-9.

A four-run seventh inning against Joe Blanton, Chad Qualls and Antonio Bastardo erased a 4-1 deficit.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis began that comeback with a two-out RBI single that chased Blanton.

Qualls entered with two runners on base and surrendered a single to right field by David Wright.

Andres Torres comfortably scored on the play, but Nieuwenhuis stopped at third base. That is, Nieuwenhuis stopped until Wright got into a rundown between first and second.

That’s when Phillies infielder Pete Orr intended to throw the ball to second base, but no one was covering. Orr regrouped and tried to fling a throw to third to catch Nieuwenhuis straying too far down the line. The throw missed its mark and ended up in foul territory as Nieuwenhuis trotted home to tie the score at 4.

Lucas Duda followed with a go-ahead RBI single against Bastardo.

Niewenhuis also scored in Denver from third base on a play in which Wright got caught in a rundown between first and second. That time a pickoff move by Drew Pomeranz initiated the rundown.

Nieuwenhuis and Duda added ninth-inning RBIs for a three-run cushion.

The Mets entered Tuesday night one shy of the major league lead for come-from-behind wins -- 10 by the Atlanta Braves.

TAKING THE FIFTH: Mike Pelfrey, lost for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was more valuable than commonly understood.

After two starts by Chris Schwinden in Pelfrey’s rotation spot, 41-year-old Miguel Batista took the latest turn. Hunter Pence launched a two-run homer in the first inning against Batista and Philadelphia added a pair of unearned runs in the second inning following an error by Jordany Valdespin.

Batista’s final line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.

Manny Acosta stranded two runners inherited from Batista in scoring position by coaxing a weak groundout from the opposing pitcher Blanton, then striking out Jimmy Rollins to hold the Mets’ deficit to 4-1.

In three starts in Pelfrey’s absence, fill-ins have now allowed 15 runs (12 earned) on 21 hits and five walks in 13 1/3 innings. Opponents have hit five homers.

WHAT A RELIEF: For the second straight game, Tim Byrdak inherited a runner at third base with two in the eighth and recorded the out. This time, he coaxed pinch hitter Ty Wigginton into a flyout to center field.

After saves on three straight days from Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch handled the ninth and recorded his first Mets save.

SHORTCOMING: Valdespin’s first major league start at shortstop got off to a rocky start. The rookie, fresh off a heroic ninth-inning homer against Jonathan Papelbon on Monday, airmailed a throw to Ike Davis for a two-base error to open the bottom of the second inning and also could not hold a throw from catcher Mike Nickeas on a potential caught stealing of Orr during that frame.

Terry Collins said pregame Justin Turner already is scripted to start Wednesday at shortstop, with Ronny Cedeno expected back from the DL for Friday’s series opener in Miami. Cedeno is due to take over the position until Ruben Tejada’s return.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Mets will aim for their first three-game sweep in Philly since June 2006 when Cliff Lee (0-1, 1.96 ERA) returns from the disabled list to face Dillon Gee (2-2, 4.50) in Wednesday’s 7:05 p.m. series finale. A sweep would send the Phillies four games under .500 for the first time since May 9, 2007.

At Class A St. Lucie, Jenrry Mejia is due to throw 75 pitches in a rehab start Wednesday. Chris Young, who should inherit Pelfrey’s rotation spot within a month, should be on the same pitch count Thursday for St. Lucie. Both pitchers underwent surgery on May 16, 2011 -- Mejia on his right elbow, Young on his right shoulder.

Terry Collins offered no commitment to continuing with Chris Schwinden in the rotation after the rookie had a pair of four-inning outings filling in for Mike Pelfrey on the road trip -- both Mets losses.

Asked if he was going to evaluate that rotation spot, Collins initially said: "I don't know yet until I get back. The game just got over. I haven't talked to anybody about what we're going to do from here on out."

Then asked if he would commit to Schwinden starting on turn Tuesday at Philadelphia on turn, Collins sounded if he was headed in another direction.

"Would I commit to it?" Collins repeated. "I'm not committing to anything. Things change in this game, so we'll see what happens."

Still, Collins described eventual rotation spot occupant Chris Young as "a ways away yet."

Young threw a 75-pitch simulated game Monday and may be a month away from being ready for major league competition.

If the Mets dip to Triple-A, Jeremy Hefner could get the call. Miguel Batista is in the major league bullpen and the de facto long man/spot starter.

"I thought today was going to be different," Schwinden said. "I left couple of balls up in the zone, and it changed the whole game.

"I know it doesn't really help me. I think their patience is kind of wearing a little bit with my performance. I just have to keep my head on straight and try, if I get another opportunity, to go for it."

As for Manny Acosta, who allowed 11 runs in 3 1/3 innings in three appearances on the trip, Collins said: "He's really trying too hard. He really, really is. He's overthrowing. Balls are in the middle of the plate. You saw on two or three replays of the hits, the balls were right down 'Central.' They might be down a little bit, but they were still down the middle. He's trying way too hard. He's coming off two good years, and he's trying to get it going a little bit. He's just got to relax and pitch."

WHAT IT MEANS: Mike Pelfrey’s vacated rotation spot is a problem for the Mets.

For the second straight start since inheriting that role, Chris Schwinden lasted only four innings while surrendering a pair of homers. This time, Chris Johnson took Schwinden deep in consecutive innings to account for five runs.

In the Mets’ final visit to Houston before it moves to the American League, the Astros swept the three-game series, taking the finale 8-1. The Mets finished their road trip 2-4 and slipped to 13-12 on the season.

Johnson finished with a career-high six RBIs, joining Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez in reaching that total in a single game against the Mets on the trip. Both of Johnson’s homers drove in former Red Sox infielder Jed Lowrie, who reached base nine of the next 10 times he stepped to the plate after being retired in his first two at-bats of the series.

The big question: Will Schwinden get another start?

The intention was for Schwinden to at least hold the spot until Chris Young is ready in about a month, but that may no longer be tenable as Young works back from May 16, 2011 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his right shoulder. Young threw a 75-pitch simulated game Monday.

The question is: In the interim, who exactly could step?

Mets officials rightly have committed to keeping Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia at Triple-A for most of the season, which leaves Jeremy Hefner -- as a 40-man roster member -- as the more likely alternative to Garrett Olson among Triple-A Buffalo rotation members. Miguel Batista was intended to be the long reliever/spot starter, and he is around. And D.J. Carrasco did log three innings in one of his minor league rehab appearances, last Thursday.

Of course, any upcoming turnover might not be limited to the rotation. Manny Acosta allowed three runs on six hits in two innings in relief of Schwinden. He is out of options and would need to go on waivers before any attempt to outright him to the minors. But Sandy Alderson was swift a season ago in making changes when players underperformed. Acosta has been charged with 11 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings over his past three starts.

PANAMA! Before giving way to Jordany Valdespin at shortstop for the bottom of the seventh with the Mets trailing by seven runs, Ruben Tejada went 3-for-4. It was his fourth three-plus-hit game on the six-game trip. He hit .464 (13-for-28) during the jaunt to Denver and Houston.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Mets are off Thursday, then begin a three-game homestand Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Dillon Gee (2-2, 4.85 ERA) opposes left-hander Wade Miley (3-0, 1.29) in the series opener.

R.A. Dickey took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning, when it unraveled. The Mets ultimately lost, 4-3, to the Astros on Monday on Jed Lowrie's tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning against Manny Acosta. The Mets nonetheless produced a 13-10 record in April.

Tuesday's news reports:

• Dickey suggested he only threw one bad pitch in Monday's loss -- the knuckleball that stayed up that Matt Downs belted for a two-run homer. Read game recaps in the Times, Record, Newsday, Star-Ledger, Daily News, Post and Journal.

• Under a new scheduling plan with the Astros going to the American League, the Mets and Yankees are no longer likely to play six games a season -- except every third year when the NL East and AL East face off in interleague play. Instead, the Mets and Yankees will play one three-game series a season at one ballpark, or home-and-home two-game series, sources told ESPNNewYork.com. Read more in the Daily News.

• Mike Pelfrey will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Dr. James Andrews will perform the procedure. Because Pelfrey likely will require a 12-month recovery period, the Mets are likely to cut loose Pelfrey at the Dec. 2 non-tender deadline, making him a free agent. Chris Schwinden continues in the rotation spot Wednesday. Chris Young could be in a Florida State League game as soon as Saturday. Read more in the Star-Ledger, Record, Journal and Newsday.

• Andres Torres returned from the disabled list Monday and went 1-for-4. Kirk Nieuwenhuis moved to left field to accommodate Torres' return, but the rookie remained in the leadoff spot. Read more in the Times.

• Lucas Duda pinch hit and walked in the Mets' three-run seventh, but he did not start because of illness. Terry Collins does not believe Duda will be capable of starting Tuesday, either. Closer Frank Francisco also was unavailable, because of an upper-hamstring issue, but Collins portrayed that as likely a one-day absence caused by dehydration suffered during the weekend in Denver. Read more in the Post.

• Johan Santana aced April, despite being winless, writes Anthony Rieber in Newsday. "I think, obviously, because he's Johan Santana, there were expectations," Collins said. "But due to the seriousness of the injury that he had and the operation, everybody, including myself, we were hoping we were going to get quality innings out of him. And he's gone above and beyond it all."

• Mike Puma in the Post labels David Wright the MVP and Jason Bay the LVP for April.

• Travis Taijeron homered twice and had five RBIs. An 18th round pick last June out of Cal Poly Pomona, Taijeron also scored the decisive run in the 12th on a wild pitch as Savannah beat Lexington, 10-9. Read Monday's full minor league recap here.

TRIVIA: Which current NL East manager had the best finish in last year's manager of the year voting, regardless of league?

Monday's answer: Danny Heep came to the Mets in the Dec. 10, 1982 trade that sent Mike Scott to Houston.

R.A. Dickey said his knuckleball was so good Monday night, he definitely should have had flirted with a complete game. And, he added, he regretted only one pitch all night.

Of course, that ball was a knuckleball that stayed up enough for Matt Downs -- who was subbing for injured Carlos Lee -- to send beyond the left-field wall for a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning. The Astros, up 3-0 after the shot, went on to win 4-3 Monday evening at Minute Maid Park. Downs homered against Dickey last season as well, but the May 14, 2011 blast was not on a knuckleball.

Dickey has surrendered a National League-high seven homers this season, despite traditionally keeping batters in the park as a knuckleballer.

"It did seem quick," Dickey said about Monday's no-hit flirtation turning into a three-run deficit. "That's the nature of the game. ... Tonight was a night where I literally threw one pitch that I regretted, and it got hit out of the park. Normally that doesn't happen. One more little wiggle to the knuckleball there, he pops that up or he hits that off the end. That was the only pitch I'd take back all night. I'd hate to say I'm satisfied, but I feel like I'm in a good place with it."

Still, Dickey added: "I have no business not going to the eighth of ninth with the stuff I had tonight. It just was unfortunate that I gave up some runs and had to come out of the game."

Said Collins: "He was outstanding. He's really frustrated about the home runs. That's usually not his thing. Obviously he threw the ball very, very well and gave us a chance, kept him in there. We just gave him nothing to work with early."

• Kirk Nieuwenhuis, manning left field for the first time in his professional career, lamented a misplay in Houston's three-run sixth. With one out and Jordan Schafer on second base in a scoreless game, Jed Lowrie sent a ball to shallow left. Nieuwenhuis did not aggressively charge. It dropped in front of him for a single, moving Schafer to third, from which he soon would score the game's opening run.

"It was just a 'tweener' ball that I should have caught," Nieuwenhuis said. "It dropped, and that's unfortunate. Dickster was pitching a great game and I just made a mistake."

Collins wondered if Ruben Tejada might have called off Nieuwenhuis, prompting the left fielder to back off. But that was not the case, said Nieuwenhuis, who also regretted getting picked off first base to lead off the top half of that inning.

"That was just lack of communication on my part," Nieuwenhuis said about Lowrie's sixth-inning single. "I should have charged in a little bit harder. That play changes the game. And getting picked off was another mistake. That changes the situation."

As for his first left-field experience overall, Nieuwenhuis said: "Not bad. That's a funky left field. Playing some balls off the wall before the game, it's a tough wall to play. I'll just keep working on it."

• Collins said he sent Manny Acosta back out for the eighth because the reliever had success in a 1-2-3 seventh as well as because the Mets bullpen needed to be spared after logging a lot of weekend work in Colorado. The manager added that Jon Rauch would have been summoned if the Mets had a lead, but the score was tied at 3 at the time. Acosta eventually served up an RBI single to Lowrie in the eighth that was the deciding run in Houston's 4-3 win.

"He was rolling in the first," Collins said about Acosta. "And our bullpen is a little worn out from the past three days. I had Rauch. We didn't have the lead. The game was tied. As you know, had we gotten the lead, Rauch would have been in the game."

• Andres Torres went 1-for-4 in his return. "He looked all right," Collins said. "He ran good. I liked what I saw."

• Lucas Duda, who walked as a pinch hitter Monday, will remain too sick to start Tuesday. That alleviates Collins having to choose whom to sit among Nieuwenhuis, Torres and Scott Hairston.

• The Mets finished April with a 13-10 record. They occupy third place in the NL East, 1 1/2 games behind the Washington Nationals. The Mets dropped to 6-2 in one-run games.

"I'm very pleased with the first month of the season, with what we've gone through so far," Collins said. "We've had some of our key guys banged up. We've had a couple of our guys that we expected to really swing the bats for us haven't. And some guys have picked up the load and carried us. We're sitting here right now going into the month of May in pretty good shape."

WHAT IT MEANS: Make it 7,991 games in franchise history without a no-hitter.

Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey departed Denver, bound for Houston, wearing a sheriff’s outfit complete with badge, gun and holster -- part of the Mets western-themed dress-up day. And Dickey was well-armed early against Astros batters on Monday, keeping them hitless into the sixth inning.

But when it unraveled, it unraveled quickly.

The Mets eventually rallied to tie the score in the seventh, but ultimately lost to Houston, 4-3, at Minute Maid Park.

Former Boston Red Sox infielder Jed Lowrie delivered a tiebreaking single in the eighth against Manny Acosta that scored Jordan Schafer with the decisive run. Acosta was working his second inning of relief in his first appearance since participating in that 11-run-inning debacle Friday in Denver.

Despite the defeat, the Mets finished a generally successful April with a 13-10 record, although their bid to move five games over .500 for first time since July 19, 2010 fell short.

As for Dickey’s effort, Schafer led off the bottom of the sixth by serving an opposite-field single over third baseman David Wright for Houston’s first hit. Schafer then scored on a broken-bat, fielder’s choice groundout by Travis Buck. Matt Downs followed by launching a two-run homer as a potentially historic evening turned into a 3-0 deficit for Dickey and the Mets.

Of course, Philip Humber became the seventh pitcher to leave the Mets and then toss a no-hitter elsewhere earlier this season, while the Mets remain without a no-no in franchise history. If the rotation remains in order, Johan Santana is lined up to pitch the 8,000th straight Mets game without a no-hitter on May 11 in Miami.

CAPTAIN KIRK: The Mets, who scored 22 runs in the three-game weekend series at Colorado, were held scoreless into the seventh inning by Astros right-hander Bud Norris.

That’s when newly installed left fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis -- who remained in the leadoff slot with Andres Torres’ return -- delivered a bases-loaded, two-run single with two out that evened the score at 3 and chased Norris.

Lucas Duda, held out of the starting lineup because of illness, had preceded Niewenhuis’ at-bat by pinch-hitting for Dickey and walking to load the bases.

Torres, meanwhile, went 1-for-4 and drove in the Mets’ opening run in the three-run seventh with a run-scoring infield single. It was Torres’ first game back since straining his left calf on Opening Day.

Torres struck out in his first at-bat, then was robbed of a potential extra-base hit in the gap in his second at-bat on a stellar catch by the left fielder Buck. He grounded out to second base to open the ninth inning.

Dickey’s final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 77 pitches (55 strikes).

WHAT’S NEXT: The Astros, who have lost six straight series, will look to win two straight against the Mets when they send left-hander J.A. Happ (1-1, 4.70 ERA) to the mound against Jon Niese (2-0, 2.81) Tuesday at 8:05 p.m. ET. Daniel Murphy is scheduled for his first game off this season.