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PITTSBURGH -- Nick Evans, who signed with the Pirates as a free agent during the offseason, won't be at PNC Park for this week's series.

He did not make the major league club out of spring training. He's actually not with Triple-A Indianapolis, either.

Evans broke three bones in the back of his glove hand in late April while making a diving attempt at first base on a popped-up bunt with the International League team. He had surgery to insert pins. He will miss a significant amount of time, but believes he will not miss the entire season. The original estimate was a six- to eight-week absence, which would put the return at no later than Aug. 1, but Evans has been progressing more speedily than originally expected.

METS (22-19, third place/NL East) vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (19-22, third place/NL Central)

Monday: LHP Johan Santana (1-2, 2.89) vs. LHP Erik Bedard (2-5, 3.07), 7:05 p.m. ET

Tuesday: RHP R.A. Dickey (5-1, 3.76) vs. RHP James McDonald (3-2, 2.68), 7:05 p.m. ET

Wednesday: LHP Jon Niese (2-2, 4.85) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (2-4, 4.35), 12:35 p.m. ET

Pirates short hops

• Manager Clint Hurdle benched outfielder/leadoff hitter Jose Tabata on Friday for lack of hustle on a groundball the previous day. Tabata also had misplayed two fly balls that gam. "He didn't get out of the box,” Hurdle told the team’s web site. “We saw it happen. We've seen it happen a couple of times. They understand when that happens something else also happens: You're gonna sit over there with me and watch. We had a talk. Jose said he 'lost the moment.' Fine, then get down the line. That didn't happen, and that's not part of our identity. That's not what we're creating here.”

• Center fielder Andrew McCutchen went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Sunday. In the six previous days, McCutchen had hit a sizzling .381 (8-for-21) with four homers, seven RBIs and six runs scored. He had two multi-homer games in a three-game span, becoming only the second Pirate in the past 25 years to accomplish that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other: Pedro Alvarez, who homered twice in consecutive games in July 2010.

• Alvarez is RBI-less in his past six games, and is hitting .106 (5-for-47) in his past 15 games. Still, his seven homers trail the MLB leaders among third baseman -- Adrian Beltre, Miguel Cabrera and David Freese -- by only one.

• Ex-Mets catcher Rod Barajas signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Pirates during the offseason. He homered Sunday against Detroit’s Max Scherzer, his fourth long ball this season, but is hitting only .220 this season. Barajas has thrown out only two of 18 would-be stealers.

• Right-hander James McDonald had a no-hit bid through five innings in his most recent start, against the Washington Nationals. Ex-Mets farmhand Jesus Flores broke it up with a sixth-inning double.

• Left-hander Erik Bedard allowed four runs in six innings against the Nats on Wednesday. Bedard had been forced from a May 9 start after one-plus innings with back spasms and received extra rest before last week’s start. He has one career start against the Mets: on June 16, 2006 at Shea Stadium, when he allowed three runs in six innings during an interleague series while playing for the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Woodward had an RBI groudout and Jose Reyes had a two-run double against Bedard in Baltimore’s 6-3 win.

• Closer Joel Hanrahan is 9-for-10 in save chances. He has a 90.7 percent success rate since the beginning of the 2011 season. The only NL closer with 40 opportunities and a better save-conversion percentage during that span: Milwaukee’s John Axford (94.5 percent). Hanrahan already ranks eighth on the Pirates’ all-time saves list with 55. Next up: Bill Landrum with 56.

• Shortstop Clint Barmes played for Hurdle with the Colorado Rockies. He signed a two-year, $10.5 million deal as a free agent to succeed current Met Ronny Cedeno as shortstop in Pittsburgh.

• The Pirates have used righty-hitting Casey McGehee (.198) and lefty-hitting Garrett Jones (.231) at first base this season.

• Nate McLouth (.143 overall) is 0-for-13 as a pinch hitter this season in his second tour of duty with the Pirates.

• Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander came within two outs of a no-hitter against the Pirates on Friday. Josh Harrison, who has been starting on the left side of the infield against left-handed pitching, broke up Verlander’s bid for his third career no-hitter with a single to center.

• Set-up man Jason Grilli landed on the bereavement list Sunday. Southpaw Jeff Locke temporarily has been promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis to work in long relief. Locke will not be used as a second lefty specialist to complement Tony Watson.

• Ex-Met Nick Evans is hitting .197 with two homers and nine RBIs in 71 at-bats at Triple-A Indianapolis. He signed with the Pirates as a minor league free agent during the offseason. Evans has been sidelined since April 30 and is on the International League disabled list.

Matchups

Santana vs. Pirates (career: 2-2, 1.96 ERA)
Pedro Alvarez .667, 3 PA
Jose Tabata .333, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K, 3 PA
Rod Barajas .286, 2 BB, 2 K, 9 PA
Casey McGehee .200, 3 K, 10 PA
Nate McLouth .133, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 17 PA
Andrew McCutchen .000, 3 K, 4 PA
Garrett Jones .000, 1 K, 3 PA
Neil Walker .000, 1 K, 3 PA
Clint Barmes .000, 3 PA

Dickey vs. Pirates (career: 1-2, 2.78 ERA)
Josh Harrison .571, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 8 PA
Garrett Jones .400, 1 RBI, 1 K, 10 PA
Jose Tabata .333, 1 BB, 1 K, 11 PA
Andrew McCutchen .222, 2 BB, 4 K, 12 PA
Rod Barajas .143, 2 RBI, 1 K, 7 PA
Neil Walker .111, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 10 PA
Casey McGehee .100, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 K, 10 PA
Pedro Alvarez .000, 1 BB, 4 PA
Nate McLouth .000, 3 PA
Clint Barmes .000, 1 RBI, 3 PA

Niese vs. Pirates (career: 1-0, 2.45 ERA)
Jose Tabata 1.000, 3 PA
Nate McLouth .667, 1 RBI, 4 PA
Rod Barajas .667, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 PA
Andrew McCutchen .667, 3 PA
Neil Walker .333, 1 RBI, 3 PA
Clint Barmes .222, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 K, 10 PA
Casey McGehee .200, 1 K, 5 PA
Pedro Alvarez .000, 1 K, 2 PA
Garrett Jones .000, 2 PA

Bedard vs. Mets (career: 1-0, 4.50 ERA)
David Wright .500, 1 BB, 3 PA
Scott Hairston .300, 1 K, 10 PA
Rob Johnson .000, 1 K, 3 PA

McDonald vs. Mets (career: 1-1, 3.49 ERA)
Ike Davis .500, 1 BB, 7 PA
Daniel Murphy .500, 1 RBI, 1 K, 6 PA
David Wright .333, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 8 PA
Andres Torres .200, 1 BB, 1 K, 6 PA
Lucas Duda .000, 6 PA
Justin Turner .000, 3 PA
Ronny Cedeno .000, 1 K, 3 PA
Rob Johnson .000, 1 PA
Scott Hairston .000, 1 K, 1 PA

Morton vs. Mets (career: 0-1, 4.76 ERA)
Lucas Duda .500, 3 RBI, 4 PA
Ike Davis .500, 1 BB, 3 PA
Justin Turner .400, 2 RBI, 7 PA
Daniel Murphy .286, 7 PA
Andres Torres .167, 1 BB, 1 K, 7 PA
David Wright .000, 4 PA
Scott Hairston .000, 3 PA

Last series results

Mets won, 2-1, at PNC Park, June 10-12, 2011 (AP game recaps)

Mets 8, Pirates 1: Dillon Gee remained undefeated, Jose Reyes homered among his three hits and the Mets won for the fifth time in six. Gee became the first Mets' rookie starter to improve to 7-0. New York has won all nine of his starts. He allowed one run and eight hits in a career-high eight innings with no walks and five strikeouts. Gee won his fifth straight outing and is the majors' first rookie starter to open 7-0 since 2006, when Jered Weaver started 9-0 for the Los Angeles Angels. Gee has allowed one earned run or less in three of his past five starts and has allowed only one run over his past two outings combined. Reyes and Josh Thole went 3-for-5, and Angel Pagan had two hits and scored twice. The Pirates' Charlie Morton had his worst start of the season, though he was the victim of some infield hits, shoddy defense and bad bounces. Morton (6-3) lasted a season-low four-plus innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) and nine hits.

Pirates 3, Mets 2: James McDonald allowed two runs in six effective innings and Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double. Jose Tabata and Josh Harrison each had two hits and scored a run. Garrett Jones had an RBI double among his two hits for Pittsburgh. Baseball's leading hitter, Jose Reyes, had two hits and Ruben Tejada and Carlos Beltran each also had two hits for the Mets. McDonald (4-4) allowed eight hits and three walks. Tim Wood pitched a scoreless seventh, Jose Veras struck out Ronny Paulino looking with runners on second and third to end the eighth and Joel Hanrahan worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save in as many opportunities.

Mets 7, Pirates 0: Chris Capuano pitched seven innings and Jose Reyes homered in the rubber-game win. Capuano (5-6) allowed three hits and two walks with five strikeouts to win consecutive starts for the first time since April 2007. Reyes had three hits for his majors-leading 33rd multi-hit game. He homered two pitches after pinch-hitter Scott Hairston also did in the ninth. David Murphy and Angel Pagan went 2-for-4 and Carlos Beltran had a two-run single. Kevin Correia (8-5) unraveled late after being perfect through 4 2/3. He missed on a chance to tie for the majors' lead in victories.

Nick Evans, who was removed from the 40-man roster after the season, has signed as a minor league free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

Reliever Taylor Buchholz cleared waivers and is expected to join Nick Evans and Jason Pridie, who were outrighted last week, in declaring free agency.

Sandy Alderson said that does not preclude any of those players from re-signing with the organization.

Assistant GM John Ricco noted it makes sense for all three players to declare free agency and look around for other opportunities.

Evans and Pridie have remained with the organization in the past when they cleared waivers and were outrighted. But in the other instances, it was in spring training or in-season where they would have been walking away from guaranteed money in contracts.

Assuming all three declare free agency as expected, the Mets’ 40-man roster would be at 31. The Mets need to add prospects by the end of the week in order to shield them from the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings -- while leaving room to sign free agents.

Buchholz went on the DL with a shoulder issue after a May 29 appearance and did not reappear because of depression and anxiety issues.

Alderson said it remained unclear whether Buchholz wanted to pitch in 2012.

Like with Mike Pelfrey, Angel Pagan, Ronny Paulino and Manny Acosta, Buchholz was arbitration-eligible. But the Mets cut him loose now rather than the Dec. 12 non-tender deadline to free the 40-man roster spot in advance of the Rule 5 draft protection deadline.

“If you look at all of these, mostly it’s about roster management and balancing that against what we foresee for the player next year,” Alderson said. “It’s possible that any one or all three of those guys can come back in some capacity.”

Nick Evans and Jason Pridie officially cleared waivers and were removed from the Mets' 40-man roster. Because both had been previously outrighted, they have the right to free agency.

Eight outs from baseball immortality, R.A. Dickey's knuckleball got away from him.

His go-to pitch, the one that carried him through 22 outs and had him thinking of a potential no-hitter, flattened out. The crazy movement disappeared. His pitch hung in the air to Shane Victorino, who smacked a double to left.

The no-hitter was gone. The franchise now had officially gone 7,963 games without one.

In his last start of the season, Dickey flirted with a no-hitter but came up short in the Mets' 2-1 win over the Phillies in the first game of the doubleheader Saturday. It marked the longest Mets attempt at a no-hitter since John Maine threw 7 2/3 hitless innings in 2007, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Dickey ultimate received a no-decision for his efforts.

"In all honesty, I thought it would be a great gift not only to the fans but the organization," Dickey said of a no-hitter. "I felt like I had a shot today when I got out of the sixth."

Dickey's first six innings had all the ingredients that could have led to a special day. He had filthy movement, changing his speeds effectively and taking some spin off the ball, which induced plenty of soft contact. He even had the patented defensive gem that seem to accompany all no-hitters and perfect games.

With two outs in the sixth and Carlos Ruiz on second following a leadoff walk, Jimmy Rollins crushed the ball to right and Nick Evans raced backward. He said he had no idea whether he had a shot at the ball, but just ran as fast as he could to try and catch it.

"Nobody ever wants to be the guy that gives up the hit in the no-hitter," Evans said.

While he didn't do it in the most graceful manner, getting turned around in the process, Evans finally made the catch, tumbling down as he grabbed the ball for the final out.

"Every no-hitter somebody makes a big play," Collins said. "I thought that might be the play today and he was throwing so well and with such great command of the knuckleball, I thought this might be something special today."

Something special instead turned into a very good outing. Victorino's double with one out started a rally of three straight hits that eventually put the Phillies ahead 1-0 and had Dickey on the losing end of the game when he was pulled for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh. Those were the only three hits he yielded.

"I was really able to mix it up today and keep them off balance for the most part and just ran into that little bit of friction in the seventh," Dickey said. "Outside of that, I felt pretty good about the outing."

The Mets eventually rallied to leave Dickey with a no-decision. Like so many times this season, the knuckleballer received little run support, yet kept his team in the game. His 8-13 record with a 3.28 ERA is evidence.

Sparing a bullpen appearance in the final five games of the season, Dickey's season is complete.

"I have such mixed emotions about it," he said of the season, "because although statistically I felt like I held up pretty well [and] our team obviously made some strides, we have a long way to go."

When it comes time to determine whether Nick Evans can be a utility player for the Mets next year, he's going to have an advocate in Mets manager Terry Collins.

"I certainly think Nick Evans is showing everybody in baseball that he's a pretty good offensive player and he's also played very, very good at first base," Collins said.

While the Mets haven't given Evans a chance at other positions recently because he's been filling in admirably at first base for Ike Davis, Collins said he's seen Evans in the minor leagues and knows he can do well enough as a utility player. Evans has played first base and the outfield for the Mets, and also has appeared in two games at third base this season.

"I think his bat has shown that he can be a force offensively here. Now, the question is can he do it off the bench or not? That's yet to be seen," Collins said. "I think Nick's play has opened a lot of people's eyes and he's a better player than a lot of people think he was, even mid-summer."

R.A. Dickey combined with Josh Stinson and Manny Acosta on a 1-0 shutout of the Marlins in Mets' final visit to Sun Life Stadium. (Read more about the Marlins' new 36,000-seat ballpark here.)

The Amazin's now return to Citi Field for a 4:10 p.m. single-admission doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves in a makeup of postponed Hurricane Irene games. Chris Schwinden makes his major league debut in Game 1. Read the Mets-Braves series preview here.

Thursday's news reports:

• Zack Wheeler lasted 3 2/3 innings and allowed four runs as St. Lucie lost Game 2 of its Florida State League semifinal series, while Savannah lost its opener in the South Atlantic League playoffs.

• Read recaps of the Mets' final game at Sun Life Stadium in Newsday, the Times, Post, Record and Star-Ledger.

• Bobby Parnell still will be getting the bulk of the save opportunities over the final three weeks, but Acosta got the assignment Wednesday and Terry Collins said he will spread that workload around somewhat. Read more in the Times, Newsday, Post and Star-Ledger.

• Nick Evans continues to produce while getting a chance to play, writes the Daily News.

BIRTHDAYS: Parnell turns 27.

Bobby Parnell blew the save, but Nick Evans provided a go-ahead RBI for the third time in the game in the 12th, lifting the Mets to a 7-4 win against the Florida Marlins on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.

The Mets wrap of the series, their final ever at Sun Life Stadium, at 5:10 p.m., Wednesday. The Marlins move to a new stadium with a retractable roof in Miami's Little Havana next season.

Wednesday's news reports:

• The Wall Street Journal determined the Mets have paid $107.2 million to players on the disabled list since the start of the 2009 season, the highest in the majors. The sum is $47 million more than the runner-up Detroit Tigers and more than double 24 other teams, according to the report. "You only have a certain amount of payroll," Sandy Alderson told the Journal's Brian Costa. "And to have a substantial part of your payroll, whatever that payroll is, absorbed by players not performing is a major factor in success or failure." Writes Costa:

The injuries of the last three years are likely to have some effect on the way the Mets' roster is constructed in the years ahead. Putting aside the larger question of whether the Mets can even afford to be major players in the free-agent market anytime soon, they'll likely be more averse to the risk inherent in pricey, long-term contracts anyway. And that's not just because ownership has been burned by bad deals in the recent past. "It needs to be taken into consideration by the baseball department as well as ownership," Alderson said. "I think you become more risk sensitive and assign value accordingly and not ignore the risk when assessing value."

• Terry Collins was decisive over the weekend when Parnell blew a save in saying the right-hander would continue to get the closing opportunities. Collins reasoned it would send a bad message to commit and then decommit. Plus, the Mets are trying to gauge Parnell's worthiness for the role in 2012. After Tuesday's blown save, Collins said he will meet with Parnell on Wednesday, and it certainly seemed like the save opportunities will be shared, at least until Parnell works out some kinks.

• Evans became the third player in franchise history to have three tiebreaking RBIs in the same game, joining Mike Piazza and Jason Phillips. Evans is making the most out of his regular duty at first base. He has started 12 of the past 13 games -- the lone exception Sunday in D.C. when Josh Satin made his major league debut. Read game summaries in the Times, Record, Star-Ledger and Post.

• Johan Santana threw a bullpen session Tuesday afternoon at Sun Life Stadium. Pitching coach Dan Warthen said Santana looks better than he did while pitching in major league games last year before undergoing Sept. 14, 2010 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. Santana will pitch in a minor league playoff game Friday -- with St. Lucie if it has a game that day. Otherwise, Santana will travel to Savannah, Ga., to play in the South Atlantic League postseason. Santana's throwing program will be halted by Nov. 1, according to Warthen. Santana then will resume activity after Jan. 1 with a program leading into spring training. The ace expects next spring training to be like any other pitcher's structure. Read more in the Star-Ledger, Post, Record, Newsday and Daily News.

• Chris Schwinden, Valentino Pascucci and Mike Baxter joined the Mets on Tuesday after Triple-A Buffalo's season ended. Left-hander Mike O'Connor was designated for assignment (removed from the 40-man roster) to clear a space. Schwinden is scheduled to start Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Watch Schwinden discuss his promotion here. Pascucci is one of 20 players who represented the Expos in the majors who still are active. Read more on Schwinden in the Daily News.

• St. Lucie rallied to win the opener of its best-of-three Florida State League playoff series at Bradenton on Monday night. Brooklyn, which was hosting Staten Island in Game 1 of the New York-Penn League playoffs, was rained out. Both series are on the schedule for Wednesday night, as is Savannah's South Atlantic League opener.

• David Wright was named National League Player of the Week.

• Jose Reyes had two extra-inning hits and inched ahead of Milwaukee's Ryan Braun for the National League's top average -- .334 to .333. The Mets have never had a batting champion. (Read about near-misses here.) Writes Andrew Keh in the Times:

For a team that has battled hard this season but is still under .500, it would add some distinction to a long, challenging and often frustrating campaign. “If it happens, I mean, it’s great, because not too many people have the opportunity to win a batting title in the big leagues,” Reyes said before Tuesday’s game. Reyes said that his troublesome left hamstring had given him more than enough to occupy his mind this season. On top of that, he said, he has come to realize as he has grown older that allowing himself to think about his individual statistics -- he is always among the leaders in triples and stolen bases -- had usually hampered his performance on the field.

• Lucas Duda, who was content slapping the ball to the opposite field for the first several weeks after his promotion, now is driving the baseball and regularly producing homers. He has nine long balls in 2011, beginning with a July 23 shot against then-Marlins closer Leo Nunez that traveled 447 feet, the longest at Sun Life Stadium this season, according to Newsday's David Lennon. "I think when you first come in, you try to do too much to impress people, overswing and stuff like that," Duda told Lennon. "Once that happened, and I got the opportunity to play every day, that's when I started to relax, be myself and go from there."

BIRTHDAYS: Jason Isringhausen turns 39. ... Former Mets reliever Brian Stokes is 32. ... Ex-utility player David Newhan is 38. His father Ross Newhan is a former sports writer for The Los Angeles Times.

After Bobby Parnell blew a save in Washington last weekend, Terry Collins indicated the right-hander would remain the regular closer. After all, Collins reasoned, it would be counterproductive for development and for demonstrating faith to have a kneejerk reaction of pulling Parnell from that role.

Now, after Parnell blew his second save in his past three tries in Tuesday’s eventual 7-4 win, 12-inning win against the Florida Marlins, Collins was less committal.

Asked if it might be beneficial for Parnell to get some non-save opportunities in order to right himself with the game not on the line, Collins intimated that was the case.

“Well, we’re going to talk to Bobby tomorrow,” Collins said. “I mean, there’s a couple things (pitching coach) Dan (Warthen) had talked about with him, a couple of little pitch-location stuff that he’s just got to be able to make. He’s got to make some pitches.

“He’s got a great arm and he’s got really great stuff. But the bases on balls hurt him. Getting behind in the count hurts him. You saw the first hitter, he went right at him with good fastballs, got ahead of him in the count, and throws him a slider and it’s a mismatch. But you’ve got to be able to get ahead.”

Collins said he didn’t know immediately after Tuesday’s game whether he would use Josh Stinson, Manny Acosta, Pedro Beato or Jason Isringhausen in save situations if he did spread around the opportunities.

Parnell’s blown save allowed Stinson the opportunity to earn his first major league save with a flawless 12^th inning Tuesday, in the rookie’s third career appearance. Stinson had 18 career minor league saves, including six this season with Double-A Binghamton.

“I’m glad to get that one out of the way,” Stinson said. “In three games I’ve got two of the big ones out of the way -- first strikeout and first save. It was exciting that I kept them to no hits, no runs, and finished the game out.”

Stinson insisted the lack of atmosphere -- there were only a few hundred people left at Sun Life Stadium when the game ended at 12:53 a.m. -- did not make it easier to keep his emotions in check.

“The adrenaline was still flowing,” Stinson said. “I was still excited and ready to go. I was definitely warm. We had that long inning.”

NICK'S HITTING KNACK: Nick Evans -- who had the tiebreaking RBI in the 12^th -- became the third player in team history to produce the go-ahead RBI three times in a game, joining Mike Piazza (2001) and Jason Phillips (2003).

Evans three times this season had cleared waivers and been dispatched to the minors.

“It’s what we always talk about, and that is this guy, to be honest, he’s got something to prove,” Collins said. “You can’t get designated as many times as he’s been designated the last couple of years and not have something to prove. He’s taking this opportunity to show us he can hit.”

The recent surge seemingly enhances Evans’ chances of making the 2012 Mets as a right-handed bat for the bench who can play first base, third base and the corner outfield positions.

In 13 starts at first base since Aug. 20, Evans is hitting .385 (20-for-52) with four doubles, a triple, three homers and 12 RBIs.

Still, he’s not exactly penciling himself into an Opening Day roster spot just yet.

“I mean, there’s still 25 games left in the season,” Evans said. “I’ve been playing for 12 (of the last 13). I’ve still got a long way to go this year before I can exhale coming into spring training.”

WHAT IT MEANS: Bobby Parnell blew his second save in his past three chances, surrendering a game-tying two-run double to ex-Met Mike Cameron with two out in the ninth.

But Nick Evans bailed out the Mets with a tiebreaking RBI single in the 12^th. Jose Reyes added an RBI single and Lucas Duda walked with the bases loaded to face in another run as the Mets beat the Marlins, 7-4.

Reyes (3-for-6, walk) upped his average to .334, retaking the NL batting lead from Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (.333).

Evans also had delivered go-ahead run-scoring singles in the sixth and eighth innings.

Josh Stinson pitched the bottom of the 12^th for his first major league save. The game opened in a 74-minute rain delay.

“We’ve faced some pretty good pitching, and he’s taking some pretty good swings,” Terry Collins said about Evans. “… I thought in the last two weeks Nick’s played and swung the bat just like I hoped he would.”

Evans has started 12 of the Mets’ past 13 games at first base, but he continues to prepare for a 2012 role as a utility player.

“One of the things Nick has done, and I salute him, is he realizes what his role may be -- and that is those four corners that he’s got to play,” Collins said. “And so, if you watch, he’ll take his early work at third base. He’s early, at 2 o’clock. He’s in the outfield with Mookie (Wilson) working in right field and left field. So he understands that, yeah, right now he’s playing first base. But he knows that if he’s going to stick here, it’s probably going to be as a guy who can play around.”

ANGEL BEDEVILED: Angel Pagan mishandled Emilio Bonifacio’s single to center field in the seventh for an error that allowed Bonifacio to reach second base. Greg Dobbs then plated Bonifacio with a two-out double against Manny Acosta in the seventh that evened the score at 2. The run was unearned, although Acosta’s seven-inning scoreless streak nonetheless was snapped.

Pagan did deliver a two-out RBI double in the ninth to up the Mets' lead to 4-2 before Parnell’s meltdown. And Pagan singled and scored on Evans’ RBI in the 12^th after Jason Bay’s double advanced him to third.

BATTY: Miguel Batista worked out of bases-loaded, one-out jams in consecutive innings and Jason Isringhausen did the same in the eighth as the Mets averted danger each time.

After notching his 100^th career win in his Mets debut last week against Florida, Batista this time received a no-decision in his second start with the club.

The Marlins had loaded the bases in the fourth and fifth innings, but each time Batista escaped. In the latter frame, Evans fielded a would-be double-play grounder, stepped on first to retire Logan Morrison, then threw toward second base trying to get lead runner Gaby Sanchez as well. Evans’ throw struck Sanchez in the back for an error that allowed the Marlin to reach third base. Batista then issued a pair of walks, but retired Brett Hayes on a double play to wriggle free.

Isringhausen walked the bases loaded in the eighth, but struck out Jose Lopez and Bonifacio to preserve a 3-2 lead.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Mets play their final game at Sun Life Stadium on Wednesday at 5:10 p.m. as R.A. Dickey (7-11, 3.60 ERA) opposes Marlins left-hander Brad Hand (1-5, 4.23). Hand replaced veteran Clay Hensley in the rotation with Florida out of contention. The Marlins move to a new 37,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof in Little Havana next season. The Mets are 73-72 all time at the Marlins’ current home entering their final game at the ballpark.

Recap | Box score | Photos

WHAT IT MEANS: Bobby Parnell's grooming/audition for 2012 closer hit its first rough patch.

Asked to protect a one-run lead in the ninth, Parnell surrendered a leadoff single to Jesus Flores, then delivered a wild pitch before walking Jonny Gomes. Ian Desmond's sacrifice bunt advanced both runners, and an intentional walk to Roger Bernadina loaded the bases.

Ryan Zimmerman then lifted the Nats to the 8-7 victory with a two-run flare to right field beyond Lucas Duda's range. Duda's pursuit of the catch by leaving his feet allowed the ball to get behind him and the winning run to score.

OR SO IT SEEMED: Until Parnell’s blown save, Duda's seventh-inning sacrifice fly that plated Willie Harris for a 7-6 lead stood to be the decisive shot.

Daniel Herrera, in his second appearance since joining the Mets as a player to be named in the Francisco Rodriguez trade, would have earned the win. He entered with the score tied at 6 and runners on the corners in place of Pedro Beato with one out in the sixth. With his second pitch, Herrera induced Ivan Rodriguez into an inning-ending double play. It was Rodriguez's first major league plate appearance since July 6. He had been sidelined with an oblique injury.

Slumping Jason Bay's two-run homer off left-hander Tom Gorzelanny a half-inning earlier had tied the score at 6. Bay homered for the first time since Aug. 8, against San Diego's Tim Stauffer. He had been 0-for-his-last-35 on the road before the long ball, a franchise record for a position player, surpassing Cleon Jones' 0-for-32 in 1972, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Including pitchers, Al Leiter has the franchise-record with an 0-for-70 road skid.

Manny Acosta tossed two scoreless relief innings, including striking out Chris Marrero in the eighth to strand the potential tying run at third base, before turning the ball over to Parnell. Acosta struck out five.

GEE FIZZ: Dillon Gee matched a career high by surrendering three homers (also Aug. 7 against Atlanta). He was charged with six runs in five innings in a no-decision.

Desmond opened the bottom of the first with a homer, but the long ball that must have stung was served up to opposing pitcher Tom Milone, who was making his major league debut. In the first pitch of his first career plate appearance, Milone -- Duda's college teammate at Southern Cal -- took Gee deep for a three-run homer to cap a four-run second as Washington grabbed a 5-0 lead.

The last pitcher to homer in his first career plate appearance was reliever Mark Worrell of the St. Louis Cardinals off Washington's Tim Redding on June 5, 2008, according to Elias. Adam Wainwright, also working in relief with the Cardinals, was the last pitcher to homer on the first pitch of his first career plate appearance, two years earlier.

The last pitcher to homer in his first major league game, regardless of at-bat, was Colorado's Jason Jennings off Donne Wall of the Mets on Aug. 23, 2001.

NICK KNOCK: Nick Evans, who has started 10 straight games at first base, homered in the fourth inning against Milone to cut the Mets' deficit to 5-4. Angel Pagan had produced a two-run single earlier that frame. Evans has homered in consecutive games and has four long balls this season.

FOOT NOTE: Ronny Paulino caught a full game in his return to the lineup. Paulino had last started Aug. 22 and is playing with a broken right big toe.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Mets and Nationals complete this series as Mike Pelfrey (7-11, 4.65 ERA) opposes Washington right-hander Livan Hernandez (8-12, 4.29) Sunday at 1:35 p.m.

Mike Pelfrey took a scoreless effort into the seventh inning when the outing unraveled, keeping him winless in his past 16 starts against the Marlins. The Mets lost to Florida, 6-0, as a four-game winning streak ended.

Wednesday's news reports:

• Terry Collins said Justin Turner and Ruben Tejada will split time at second base about 50-50 with Jose Reyes back and manning shortstop, although the manager called his decision on any given day a "feel" thing. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Collins compared Tejada to Florida's Omar Infante and suggested that if Reyes departs as a free agent, Tejada has the mental makeup to take over at shortstop for the Mets. "His mental makeup is so far beyond his years," Collins said. Read more in Newsday and the Record.

• Pelfrey regretted a snafu with Turner in Florida's five-run seventh. Turner wanted a pickoff throw to second base, showing open glove as he broke for the bag. Pelfrey instead delivered to the plate. Javier Vazquez bunted. And Turner, stuck by second base, could not get to first base in time to be in position for a throw from David Wright that would have retired Vazquez. That loaded the bases with the game scoreless. Read game reports in the Star-Ledger, Times, Daily News, Post and Newsday.

• Eli Shalomoff, who was struck by a foul ball off the bat of Greg Dobbs during Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader, was released Tuesday night, Elmhurst Hospital assistant director of public affairs Atiya Butler told Newsday. The 12-year-old received a visit from Dobbs earlier in the day. According to the Palm Beach Post, relaying info from Dobbs, the boy was diagnosed with a concussion, broken nose and sinus bone and needed eight stitches. Dobbs told the South Florida newspaper the boy is primarily a soccer fan. "He wants to try out for hockey," Dobbs said. "But he’s not that big of a Mets fan. He’s more of a Yankees fan."

• The first-year Rockland Boulders of the indepedent Can-Am League announced Howard Johnson and son Glen would play with the team Sept. 4 and 5. "The most exciting thing is I get a chance to do something most dads never get a chance to do," HoJo told the Daily News, referring to playing alongside his son. "But I really just hope that I make contact." The 50-year-old Johnson plans to play first base, even though he needs knee-replacement surgery. Read the full details at the team's web site.

• Nick Evans' modest five-game hitting streak since taking over at first base with Lucas Duda moving to right field came to an end Tuesday, but Evans appreciates the playing time. "I’m getting the chance to get some at-bats in a row, and the more you get in a row, the more comfortable you’re going to feel,” Evans told Andrew Keh in the Times.

• Rosters expand Thursday (Sept. 1), but Dan Martin in the Post writes not to expect an influx. Collins said most of the players who would have been summoned -- the likes of Lucas Duda, Jason Pridie and Nick Evans -- already were needed earlier and called up. "If we were breaking the whole thing up next year, it would be a different story," the manager added, alluding to how Turner and Tejada need to play second base. "Then, you just throw the call-ups out there, but that's not the case. And players like Willie Harris and Scott Hairston, who do thankless jobs and do them well, deserve to play." Still, it speaks volumes that 40-year-old Miguel Batista gets Thursday's start.

BIRTHDAYS: Hideo Nomo turns 43. ... Outfielder Claudell Washington, who played for the 1980 Mets, was born on this date in 1954.

Justin Turner said he was unnerved witnessing a 10-year-old boy getting struck in the face with a foul ball off the bat of Florida’s Greg Dobbs during the ninth inning of Game 1 of Monday’s doubleheader.

Turner gave his jersey to the family.

“It hit him right between the eyes,” Turner said. “It’s probably one of the baddest things I’ve ever seen on a baseball field. I saw it hit him. He didn’t move. I heard his mom screaming. I looked over. Blood was squirting out of his forehead onto his mom. It was pretty disturbing. I haven’t heard yet if he was all right or not, but he was talking when they were wheeling him through here. …

“I saw the whole thing. I don’t even think he moved. Some guys in the front row I think jumped up for it and probably blocked him from even seeing it. It didn’t even look like he flinched or moved or anything. It hit him square. I felt sick to my stomach. I talked to Nick (Evans). He was right next to me. He saw the whole thing too. Both of us felt pretty sick to our stomachs when we saw it. You never want to see anything like that happen, especially to a 10-year-old kid.”

Dobbs told reporters on the Florida side postgame that he was told that the young man’s vision was not affected.

NO JITTERS: Bobby Parnell entered the day with two career major league saves. Had Mike Nickeas’ eighth-inning RBI not given the Mets a four-run cushion in Game 2, Parnell might have doubled that total Monday.

Parnell allowed a solo homer but nonetheless closed out the opener. He then tossed a scoreless ninth in the nightcap to complete the 5-1 win.

Terry Collins said he used Parnell in the non-save situation in Game 2 because he was already warm. Jason Isringhausen likely will close Tuesday if the Mets have a late and narrow lead.

“The nerves weren’t near as bad this time,” Parnell said, contrasting Monday’s Game 1 appearance with an Aug. 24 save at Philadelphia. “I knew what I had to do. I was more concentrated on that. It was definitely easier.”

Common sense dictates the Mets preferred Nickeas drive in the tack-on run. But did any part of Parnell want a three-run lead entering the ninth and two saves in one day?

“It would have been fun, for sure, but at this point we’ll take every run we can get and every win we can get,” Parnell said. “As long as I’m throwing in the ninth and getting that experience, it’s good.”

SHOULDERING LOAD: Jason Bay, who played Game 1 of the doubleheader after a three-day layoff, said his right shoulder felt fine. Bay had been scratched from Friday’s game against Atlanta.

He did not play in Monday’s nightcap -- Willie Harris started in left field -- but Bay suggested that was about it being unwise to play 18 innings the first day back from an injury. Bay originally jammed the shoulder attempting a diving catch last week in Philadelphia.

“I don’t think it should be an issue going forward,” Bay said.

NICK KNOCKS: Evans had two hits in each game of the doubleheader and is hitting .526 (10-for-19) with five RBIs in his five starts at first base since Lucas Duda has resettled in right field.

“I’ve never really gotten to play this many days in a row, so it’s exciting,” Evans said. “I love it.”

Evans, incidentally, is mulling playing winter ball with Caracas in Venezuela. That’s the team for which Duda is likely to play. It will be managed by Tim Teufel, who succeeds Dave Hudgens in that role.

SWEEP: The Mets notched their first doubleheader sweep since April 27, 2010 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... Duda lost a seven-game hitting streak. ... Mets starters had tossed 25 1/3 scoreless innings until Dillon Gee surrendered a solo homer to Greg Dobbs in the sixth inning of Game 2.

Recap | Box score | Photos

WHAT IT MEANS: Jose Reyes played in his first major league game since pulling himself Aug. 7 with a left hamstring strain.

Reyes, who had appeared in three rehab games with Double-A Binghamton, went 1-for-4 and committed an error.

He quickly had to test the leg muscle, retreating for a second-inning bloop over his head off the bat of Bryan Petersen that ultimately fell in shallow left field for a single. In the sixth, Reyes dropped a throw at second base from Nick Evans, who was trying to initiate a double play, and was charged with an error as both runners were safe.

The Mets nonetheless swept the doubleheader and put 5½ games between themselves and the last-place Marlins.

After Manny Acosta recorded four outs, Bobby Parnell worked the ninth, as he did in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Parnell was deprived of his second save of the day -- and fourth of his career -- when Mike Nickeas' RBI single in the eighth scored Evans and extended the lead to four runs.

SECOND THAT: Ruben Tejada scored the first two Mets runs, each time giving the Amazin’s a lead.

Starting at second base, a position he will now share with Justin Turner with Reyes’ return, Tejada produced his first career major league triple in the fourth inning. Tejada then scored the opening run on David Wright's grounder to third base. Greg Dobbs fired the ball into the Mets' dugout. Wright reached second on the two-base error and was credited with an RBI.

Dobbs evened the score at 1 in the sixth on a solo homer off Dillon Gee.

But a half-inning later, Tejada beat out an infield single and scored on Angel Pagan's two-out bloop single to left-center. After Evans (2-for-4) singled, extending his hitting streak to five games, Willie Harris also singled to score Pagan and give the Mets a 3-1 lead.

Gee then departed. His line: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. He threw 101 pitches (70 strikes).

Evans is 10-for-19 in his past five games.

Harris started in left field over Jason Bay, who is in a 2-for-41 rut. Bay, who was returning from a jammed right shoulder after a three-day respite, started Game 1.

Wright also picked up an RBI double in the seventh.

WHAT'S NEXT: The five-game series continues Tuesday with Mike Pelfrey (7-10, 4.60 ERA) opposing Marlins right-hander Javier Vazquez (7-11, 4.63).