Zack Wheeler pitched six shutout innings and earned the win in his major-league debut as the Mets swept a day-night doubleheader from Atlanta.

Wheeler struggled with command, but consistently pitched out of trouble in a scoreless game. Eventually, the Mets’ offense broke through in the 6-1 victory.

“I was really impressed with how he competed even after he walked people,” manager Terry Collins said. “A lot of people at this level think you have to trick people and he didn’t; he went right at them. … Big ace pitchers they have the ability to reach down deep inside when they need big outs.”

In a season — and succession of seasons — where the Mets had little to be excited about, Tuesday’s sweep by Matt Harvey and Wheeler was truly encouraging.

“It was definitely an experience,” Wheeler said. “I had some jitters going at first but then I settled down a bit.”

Harvey struck out a career-high 13 batters in a 4-3 win in the afternoon tilt.

Wheeler, the top pitching prospect in the Mets’ system and No. 8 prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, made his much-anticipated major-league debut in front of a large contingent of family and friends. He is a native of Smyrna, Ga., just 10 miles northwest of Atlanta.

He didn’t quite live up to the explosive, 11-strikeout debut of Harvey last July, but Wheeler was impressive. He struck out seven batters and finished strong. Wheeler walked two batters in both the first and third innings, but allowed just four baserunners over the next three innings.

Wheeler consistently threw his fastball at 97 mph, but struggled with location of his breaking ball. He came out of the game after six innings and 102 pitches.

“He’s got a great arm, that’s obvious. [But] he’s going to need secondary stuff,” Collins said. “[Pitching coach] Dan [Warthen] likes his slider better than his curveball. … But he’s going to have to throw them for strikes.”

Anthony Recker provided the first offense of the game with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning. The Mets tacked on four insurance runs in the eighth inning on four hits and two errors.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

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Matt Harvey carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Mets bullpen just managed to hang on for a 4-3 win over Atlanta in the first game of a day-night doubleheader yesterday.

Harvey lost his no-hitter on an infield hit by Jason Heyward in which Lucas Duda didn’t cover first, but he was sterling as usual in earning his sixth win this season. He finished with a line of seven innings, three runs and a career-high 13 strikeouts.

All three runs scored in the eighth inning after he had been removed with the bases loaded. LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Rice allowed the inherited runners to come in.

Bobby Parnell shut things down in the ninth inning to earn his 10th save.

John Buck got off the schneid with his first home run since May 24, though he still leads the team. Marlon Byrd continued his hot hitting with two hits, an RBI and a run scored.

Rookie Alex Wood, one of the Braves’ top pitching prospects and just 22 years old, lasted just three innings and 73 pitches in his first career start.

Zack Wheeler, the top pitching prospect in the Mets system, will make his major-league debut in the second half of Tuesday’s doubelheader.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

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Zack Wheeler knows he has a lot to live up to in the eyes of Mets fans. He just hopes he doesn’t have only one start to do so.

“I don’t think I’m the savior at all,” Wheeler told reporters yesterday in his first press conference with Mets reporters. “I’m just trying to come up here and play the best that I can, help out the team any way I can. I know people are going to scrutinize.”

If anything, the debut of Matt Harvey last summer — and subsequent star turn in 2013 — has raised the bar for Wheeler, who was ranked the No. 8 prospect in baseball by MLB.com prior to the season.

“He set the bar so high because he just took off once he came up here,” Wheeler said. “Hopefully I’ll do well and just be up there with him.”

Wheeler, 23, will be making his major-league debut just 10 miles from his hometown of Smyrna, Ga. But he said he never really had a team growing up, even though he got caught up in the Braves fervor through the 1990s.

In fact, he said he was actually a bigger fan of basketball than baseball growing up.

Wheeler will start the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader at 7:10 p.m. Harvey is scheduled to start the opener at 1:05 p.m.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

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Kirk Nieuwenhuis’s long jump onto home plate and into a waiting throng of teammates was a release for a team in desperate need of one.

“It’s a positive,” Nieuwenhuis said after his three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth powered the Mets to a 4-3 come-from-behind win over to the Cubs Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.

The centerfielder, who finished 1-for-3, drilled a 1-0 fastball from Carlos Marmol (2-4) off the Pepsi Porch in right to end a three-game losing streak.

It was only the Mets’ third win this month.

“We really tried to come into this game and get something going,” Nieuwenhuis said.

“If we can’t use this as a spark, I don’t know what else we can do,” manager Terry Collins said. “I hope that gets us going.”

Marlon Byrd started the comeback with a leadoff homer off Marmol in the ninth to cut the deficit to 3-1. Byrd’s 11th homer of the year was followed by a Lucas Duda walk and a John Buck single. Omar Quintanilla’s sac bunt moved the runners over and set the stage for Nieuwenhuis’s first home run since June 23, 2012.

“I was trying to see it out of [his] hand because he has a good slider,” Nieuwenhuis said. “I was just really trying to see it out of [his] hand and read the pitch.”

Before the ninth inning, it appeared as if the Mets were going to let another strong Jeremy Hefner start go to waste.

Hefner yielded three runs — one earned — on five hits and six innings. He struck out five and walked one as his ERA dropped from 4.11 to 3.96. However, the right-hander was the unfortunate bystander of a 15-second sequence that summed up the state of the Mets.

Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, David Wright threw Alfonso Soriano’s routine ground ball high and wide of Daniel Murphy. Murphy recovered the ball by the Mets dugout, but overthrew John Buck to allow Starlin Castro to score. Backing up third on the play, Quintanilla’s throw home was late as Nate Schierholtz slid past the Mets catcher.

The Mets were down 3-0 after one of the most improbable plays in franchise history.

“It was just one of those crazy plays,” Collins said.

But the three runs were all the Mets would allow, as the bullpen contingent of Carlos Torres, David Aardsma and Bobby Parnell (5-3) limited the Cubs to one hit over the final four innings.

“[Hefner] pitched well and our bullpen did the same,” Nieuwenhuis said. “They don’t get as much credit as they deserve. That was a great performance.”

One that came at arguably the most vital portion of the Mets’ season.

Entering Sunday’s finale, the Mets had lost nine-of-11 in June. Their 24-39 record was third worst in MLB behind the Marlins (20-47) and the Astros (25-44). Perhaps most dispiriting of all, the Mets are 13 1/2 games back of NL East-leading Atlanta.

Even with 98 games left in the Mets’ campaign, the season has been essentially distilled to Matt Harvey starts, the All-Star Game and the call-ups of Zack Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud.

“One hundred percent of it,” Collins said when asked before the game how much of the coaching staff’s job is keeping morale high. “It’s not the work side. The work side is commonplace, here. So it’s about making sure the attitude stays positive. That’s why I said [Saturday night] one of the things you’re seeing is — it’s all part of human nature — that when we fall behind 5-0 or fall behind 4-0, you can feel an attitude in the dugout just collapse. That’s where we’ve got to get stronger. We’ve really got to get stronger playing nine innings. Play nine innings as hard as you can play it, and when we’re all done, take what comes. If you have more runs, great. If you don’t, you have to grind out the game. You have to grind out for three hours. It’s what we get paid for. So, right now, our main job [as a coaching staff] is to make sure the attitude stays positive.”

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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As he has throughout the season, Mets manager Terry Collins reiterated before Sunday’s matinee against the Cubs that his thinking in creating lineups is to have players on base when, or if, the middle of the lineup begins hitting.

“We’re trying to get some guys on, in case somebody gets hot,” Collins said. “To where there are guys on base.”

Right fielder Marlon Byrd hit cleanup in the series finale. He entered the game second on the team in home runs with 10, one behind Lucas Duda and John Buck. Even though Byrd has a .253 batting average, he has an on-base percentage of .311.

“We look at a lot of things,” Collins said. “No. 1, we look at, we’re looking at on-base [percentage]. That’s why I moved Marlon to where he’s hitting. He’s been driving in some runs for us. He’s been hitting some home runs; his on-base is good.”

The Mets’ .209 team batting average in June is the NL’s worst and ranks 29th out of the 30 MLB franchises. Only the moribound Astros are worse with a .204 average. The Mets entered yesterday’s game tied with the Rangers for the fewest runs scored this month, with 37 each.

“For the most part, each and every day, you think, ‘This is the day we’re going to break out of this,’” Collins said. “It starts with those guys in the middle. That’s where the run production comes.”

The roster juggling is not limited to position players, as Carlos Torres was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas following Saturday’s 5-2 loss. Right-handed reliever Greg Burke was optioned to Las Vegas and reliever Collin McHugh was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster in the corresponding moves.

Torres had a 6-3 record and a 3.89 ERA in 12 starts with Las Vegas.

“Lately he’s been outstanding,” Collins said of Torres, who arrived as the Mets were on the field stretching. “Two complete games and when you do that, pitching in Las Vegas, that says a lot. He’s been pitching very, very well. I talked to [Triple-A manager] Wally [Backman] the other day and he said that [Torres] would be the one guy he would recommend if we needed help.

“We decided to give him a shot.”

Meet the future

The Mets begin an 11-day, 11-game road trip Monday in Atlanta. Dillon Gee (5-6, 4.84 ERA) is the scheduled starter. Matt Harvey (5-1, 2.04 ERA) and Zack Wheeler will start Tuesday’s day-night doubleheader. Wheeler, who will start the second game and is the team’s top pitching prospect, is making his major-league debut. He will meet reporters Monday afternoon at Turner Field. Wheeler is a native of Smyrna, Ga. — about 10 miles northwest of Atlanta.

Shaun Marcum (0-8, 5.43 ERA) and Jonathon Niese (3-6, 4.15 ERA) will start the final two games of the series.

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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That dude had one too many.

LET’S GO METS!

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The Mets’ stated goal heading into the season was to be a team that could compete with the National League’s best.

Sixty-eight games into the 2013 season, and the Mets find themselves with the third-fewest wins in the majors and appear earmarked for a seventh straight non-playoff year.

Manager Terry Collins was asked how he balances the short-term importance of winning games while evaluating which players will be contributors in the future.

“My concern is, ‘How are we getting [the players] better? Are they buying into the program?’ Look at anybody in that lineup. Are they performing up to their capabilities? I’m not sure they are. We all think they could do better. That’s what we’ve got to concern ourselves with,” Collins said prior to last night’s series opener against the Cardinals.

“When the faces change, that doesn’t change how you go about your job for us, as coaches. I told the coaches today, ‘You have to continue to push; you have to continue to say the same thing you told the guy six years ago in A-ball.’

“Once in a while, you have to let them figure it out for themselves. When they can’t, then it becomes our decision as a coaching staff. I told the coaches today, ‘At no time in the years we’ve been here [have] we faced a bigger challenge than we are right now.’ Because we have a lot of season left. We have a hundred games to play. That’s a lot of games. All we have to do is win 60 of them and see where we are, take our chances.”

Derby time

Prior to last night’s game, MLB announced Mets third baseman David Wright and Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano were named captains for the NL and AL 2013 Home Run Derby squads.

Wright and Cano will select three players from their respective league to round out the respective squads. This year will mark the second time Wright will participate in the derby. He was the runner-up in 2006. Cano, who will be the AL captain for the second straight year, will be in his third derby.

Probable starters

The Mets announced Dillon Gee will start Wednesday and Matt Harvey will pitch the series finale.

Harvey, 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA, left last Saturday’s game against the Marlins with lower back tightness. Harvey told reporters before Sunday’s loss to the Marlins that he was “fine” after his back was “realigned.”

Shaun Marcum, Jonathon Niese and Jeremy Hefner will start this weekend’s series against the Cubs.

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Even as Ike Davis began the process of resurrecting his once promising career, the first baseman’s specter hung over the Mets like a cloud.

Prior to Tuesday night’s 9-2 series opening loss to MLB-best St. Louis, Mets manager Terry Collins spent most of his pregame press conference explaining the organization’s rationale for finally pulling the trigger on Davis’s long-rumored demotion.

Davis, outfielder Mike Baxter and reliever Robert Carson were optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas after the Mets’ 8-4 loss to the MLB-worst Marlins on Sunday. First baseman Josh Satin, centerfielder Collin Cowgill and reliever Josh Edgin were called up in the corresponding roster moves.

“As I’ve said for two years, I’ve never seen more guys cheer for a guy in my time than they do for Ike Davis, so I think there were some guys disappointed that it finally came to this,” Collins said. “But they also ultimately know it’s for the best for Ike, which ultimately will be the best for the organization.”

The first baseman was hitting just .161 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and 16 runs scored when he was sent down. His season-long struggles at the plate fueled speculation prior to the Subway Series that Davis was going to be sent down. An 8-for-37 stretch in the 11 games between May 26 and June 9 — which actually saw Davis’ batting average rise from .158 to .161 — convinced organizational decision makers it was best for both the player and the team that the first baseman be sent 2,500 miles away to work on his swing.

“I think in this particular situation, because of all the speculation for the weeks, I don’t think anybody was [numbed] by it. I think there were some guys disappointed by it for sure,” Collins said. “[Ike] is a great teammate and a good player.”

The organizational plan is to have Daniel Murphy play first and Jordany Valdespin will be at second. Murphy, the everyday second baseman, has played first base in the major leagues.

Murphy was 1-for-4 and Valdespin was 2-for-4 in Tuesday’s listless loss. Justin Turner came into the game late and replaced Valdespin defensively at second.

What was not in consideration was moving Lucas Duda from left field to first. Duda had played first base in the minors.

“We don’t think Ike [is] going to be gone very long. So we did not want to move Lucas to first base and send a terrible message that that job is taken,” Collins said. “If Ike Davis comes back and is swinging the way he can, we’re going to have a nice problem on our hands.”

Collins believes Davis’s problem is equal parts fundamental and psychological. The manager wants Davis to see the ball while limiting the amount of voices offering advice.

“It’s all up to Ike,” Collins said. “I know one thing: the hitters, you have to see the baseball. He’s not seeing it. That’s what’s got to get changed. He’s got to keep his head back. I don’t care what anybody says mechanically. I don’t care about what anybody talks about where his hands need to be. He needs to keep his hand behind the baseball. When he does that, he’s dangerous. That’s where it starts with me.

“[Hitting coach] Dave [Hudgens has] suggested some things. Guys in the minor leagues that have worked with him, [Triple-A hitting coach] George Greer being one and [minor-league hitting coordinator] Lamar Johnson being another, they’re going to have ideas. I got phone calls from high school softball coaches. … Everybody’s calling. Everybody’s got a stinkin’ suggestion. That’s one of the reasons why he’s struggling right now, [because] he’s got 55 suggestions in his head. He’s got to settle himself in; he’s got to get in the batters’ box where he sees the baseball, is comfortable, make a couple tweaks and he’ll be fine.”

The Mets offense struggled Tuesday after putting up two runs in the first inning. After two hits in the inning, they had just three the rest of the game. Michael Wacha, a top prospect for the Cardinals, went six innings and got his first career win. Allen Craig provided a three-run homer in the fifth inning as the big hit.

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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It only took 10 innings for the Mets to be humiliated by the Marlins yesterday.

New York was swept by the worst team in baseball — again — with an 8-4 loss at Citi Field. They were swept last week in Miami as well.

Bobby Parnell had his first real disastrous outing of the season, and not in a closing role. He came in to pitch the top of the 10th inning with the game tied, 4-4, and allowed four hits and three runs. He was aided in his futility on an error by Daniel Murphy, which allowed an unearned run to score. Rob Carson finished off the disaster by allowing a two-run home run to Miguel Olivo to provide the final margin.

Parnell has allowed four runs and eight hits in his last 2 1/3 innings. His ERA has risen from 1.85 to 3.04 over those three appearances.

The Mets (23-35) now have the third-worst record in the majors, ahead of only Miami (18-44) and Houston (22-42) — two teams who were picked to be historically bad.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

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The Mets’ worst fears were almost realized in Saturday’s 20-inning loss to Miami — Matt Harvey had to be removed from the game with a back injury.

But the outlook was much sunnier Sunday morning as the team said they don’t expect their ace phenom to miss a start due to the lower back tightness.

“Everything is fine,” Harvey told reporters before Sunday’s series finale against Miami. “I woke up today [and] felt good. They told me my start date is Thursday. So I’m ready to go.”

Harvey left the game after warming up to start the eighth inning. Manager Terry Collins came to the mound and decided to play it safe by removing the team’s 24-year-old ace. He had allowed one run and struck out six in the first seven innings.

Harvey said yesterday he had his back realigned by a team trainer, which certainly did not sound promising. But according to Harvey, he had the problem in college at UNC and did not sound concerned.

“In college it happened a couple times,” Harvey said. “It hasn’t happened since then. It was a quick thing. Once it was realigned, it was back to normal.”

Harvey is 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 90 innings. He is receiving just 4.23 runs in support during his 13th start, tied for 26th in the NL.

He is scheduled to make his next start on Thursday against St. Louis.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

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The Yankees had never been swept in a season series with the Mets. But then again, they have never fielded a lineup devoid of so many regular players.

The good news is two regulars appear close to returning as Mark Teixeira (forearm) and Kevin Youkilis (back) completed rehab assignments and may return Friday against the Red Sox.

If they do return, they will be coming back to a team which has lost five straight and seven of nine after getting a solo home run from Robinson Cano and little else offensively in a 3-1 loss to the Mets Thursday night.

“[They will be] a big boost,” center fielder Brett Gardner said. “They fit nicely in our lineup and we look forward to getting them back.”

In between a 1-4 start to the season and this current slide, the Yankees went 27-12 with a lineup highlighted by solid performances from veterans Lyle Overbay, Travis Hafner and Vernon Wells. All three have experienced struggles as of late.

“I don’t know if they were playing over their heads,” manager Joe Girardi said of his patchwork lineup “I think they were playing well and I think whenever you’re playing well and you go through a bad streak, you’re always a little bit surprised because you don’t know what necessarily triggers it.”

Wells was 0-for-4 Thursday and has just seven hits in his last 44 at-bats. Hafner also was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Thursday has one hit in his last 15 at-bats. Overbay was 0-for-3 and went 3-for-14 in the series against the Mets.

The lack of consistent offense for the fourth time in five games meant the Yankees dropped to 17-10 in games decided by two runs or less. Four of those losses have occurred since this slump began May 21 in Baltimore.

The rough night offensively cost Vidal Nuno a chance at a second win before he likely heads back to the minors when Andy Pettitte returns Monday. Nuno allowed a Marlon Byrd home run in the second but just two other hits while pitching six innings.

While the Yankees continued their worst slide of the year, the Mets maintained their best week of the season by winning a season-high fifth straight game. Like the other games against the Yankees, Met pitching continued to perform well.

Dillon Gee followed the leads of Shaun Marcum, Jon Niese and Matt Harvey with an impressive victory. He struck out a career-high 12 hitters in 7 1/3 innings, retiring the final 15 hitters he faced with nine outs coming by strikeout.

Gee pitched more aggressively and during his dominant game-ending run, the Yankees saw first-pitch strikes 11 times.

“That was my mindset,” Gee said. “I went out in the sixth and seventh and [thought] this was my game. We’re going to attack guys. That’s the way I’m going to pitch and I hadn’t been doing it lately.”

It was Gee’s finest performance since July 7, 2012, which was his final start of last season before undergoing surgery to treat a blood clot in his right shoulder. It also came after manager Terry Collins hinted that repeated bad starts might force him to shift Gee to the bullpen when prized prospect Zack Wheeler arrives.

“I talked to Dillon the other day after his last start because he was sailing through and all of a sudden he hit a wall,” Collins said “My question was, ‘How are you feeling?’ and he said, ‘I’m disappointed in the fact that I haven’t been able to be very consistent.’

“Then I asked if he was hurt and if you’re not hurt, it’s got to be something else. There was some frustration and he understood that. I said if a change is going to have to be made, I’m going to have to take you out of the rotation and he said, ‘I don’t blame you.’”

The most revealing stretch from a Yankee standpoint came when Gee struck out the final five hitters he faced on 26 pitches.

“When you look up, he was throwing a lot of strikes,” Girardi said. “His changeup a lot of times looks like a strike. Guys were swinging and they didn’t hit it.”

The dominance by Gee gave the Mets their fourth series sweep against the Yankees while the ineptitude of the Yankee bats gave them five straight losses for the first time since a six-game slide May 11-16, 2011.

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Ivan Nova has thrown 22 2/3 innings and the case can be made the six he has tossed as a relief pitcher in the last week have been his best of the season.

Nova has struck out eight batters in those innings and allowed seven hits while throwing 59 of 84 pitches for strikes. His first appearance was a high-leverage situation in Tampa Bay on Saturday and his second appearance can be described as an innings-eating circumstance.

Nova pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th inning Saturday and provided the only highlight of a 9-4 loss to the Mets on Wednesday. He struck out six while allowing one run and five hits in five innings for his best line since Sept. 15, 2012 against Tampa Bay (six innings, two earned runs, four hits, eight strikeouts).

“We really liked what he did last night,” manager Joe Girardi said. “He saved our bullpen. The ability that he has, we’ve seen it. I think it’s just doing it consistently is important to him and getting back to where he was the first half of last year.”

The highlight of Nova’s performance was the eighth inning. He struck out Ike Davis, Mike Baxter and Ruben Tejada swinging all on curveballs, a pitch that has generated 24.5 percent of Nova’s 26 strikeouts this year.

“The curveball was really good,” Nova said. “Once I get ahead, I go with my curveball. That’s my strikeout pitch.”

Nova has not made a start since April 27 against Toronto when he was injured after allowing two runs and four hits in two innings.

Tejada avoids demotion, hits DL

Ruben Tejada could have been facing a demotion to Triple-A Las Vegas. He will not be suiting up for the Mets at least not in the next 15 days, but he also will not be taking the field in the minors.

Instead, he’ll spend his upcoming days recovering from a strained right quadriceps, the same injury that sidelined him for seven weeks last season.

The injury occurred during the ninth inning while sliding to catch a foul ball. Tejada ended a 0-for-12 skid with a first-inning single Wednesday.

Had Tejada been demoted, Omar Quintanilla would have been promoted. But since a DL stint occurred, Quintanilla joined the team anyways after posting a .331 average in the minors.

Quintanilla played 29 games for the Mets and was 5-for-14 against the Yankees for them. After leaving the Mets, he joined the Orioles and had two hits in 11 at-bats against the Yankees.

Collins said he is confident in Quintanilla’s defense and that he also might bat him leadoff against a right-handed starter. He also didn’t guarantee Tejada would reclaim the starting job, especially if Quintanilla performs well.

Niese to miss start

Jon Niese turned in his finest start of the season in Monday’s 2-1 win. It also turns out that he was pitching with left shoulder tendinitis.

To keep the problem from escalating further, the Mets have decided to skip his scheduled start Saturday afternoon against the Marlins. Niese’s next start would be June 7 against the Marlins, 10 days after he pitched against the Yankees.

Collins said the soreness has been bothering over Niese over his last three starts. During that stretch, Niese has allowed three earned runs over 20 1/3 innings.

“He was a lot sore after his last start,” Collins said. “We gave him a day off and we wanted to see how he came back yesterday. He was still sore. We had him examined this morning and soreness was still there.”

Niese underwent an MRI Thursday and no structural damage appeared. He said the discomfort started after he was pounded for eight runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings during an 11-2 loss to Pittsburgh on May 11.

Collins indicated Collin McHugh will replace Niese Saturday and emphatically stated that top pitching prospect Zach Wheeler was not a consideration.

“No, no, none, none,” Collins said of any possible Wheeler promotion.

Girardi mum on returns

Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis are expected to return Friday from their respective injuries after playing in a second minor-league rehab game for Double-A Trenton. But if that is happening, Girardi remained mum on the topic.

One thing that could be impacted with their returns is Robinson Cano batting second against right-handed pitching. Cano batted .341 from that spot with a .336 mark against right-handers going into last night.

“Your lineup against a right-hander could be different than against a left-hander,” Girardi said. “We could keep him in the two-hole as well. The one thing about Robby Cano is you want him to have as many at-bats as possible. That’s the bottom line. It’s very possible we could keep him there.”

Yankees notes …

» The Yankees announced 2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui will be honored before their July 28 game with Tampa Bay, which was scheduled as their 55th home game of the regular season. Matsui will sign a one-day minor league contract with the Yankees and officially announce his retirement with his parents in attendance.

Matsui was also recently honored by the Yomiuri Giants — whom he played for 10 seasons from 1993-2002 — in a ceremony at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on May 5. During the event, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe presented Matsui with the People’s Honor Award, the most prestigious award in Japan. It is bestowed on those who have made significant achievements in their careers and are beloved by the public.

» The Yankees said Andy Pettitte is on track to start Monday against the Indians after missing two weeks with an upper back injury.

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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David Phelps made his first start in the Subway Series Wednesday, but the main attraction for Mets hitters was a fastball that featured very little movement.

Perhaps nobody was as glad to see a straight fastball as Ike Davis, who capped a five-run first inning with a two-run single for the Mets, who now have a season-high four-game winning streak after last night’s 9-4 victory at steamy Yankee Stadium.

Phelps was coming off a career-high 7 2/3 inning performance in Tampa Bay in which he retired the first 12 hitters. Right from the outset it was apparent a repeat showing was not in order.

“I was just leaving a lot of balls up,” Phelps said. “They made me pay for it. It stinks. It’s one of the worst outings you can have but I’m not going to let it kill me.”

Phelps gave up the first run just three pitches in on a curveball Daniel Murphy hit to the warning track in right center just out of the reach of Brett Gardner for an RBI double. After walking David Wright with a slider and striking out Lucas Duda, Phelps left a fastball over the plate which John Buck turned into a base hit and a 2-0 lead.

It looked like Davis’s slump would persist as he fell behind 0-2, but after restraining himself from chasing two off-speed pitches to reach a full count, Phelps went back to his fastball and Davis lined it up the middle to chase Phelps from the game.

“There was more to it than two breaking balls and all of a sudden a full count,” Buck said. “It was him laying off some off-speed pitches and working the count to get to the full count and earn himself the fastball. That at-bat was the type of at-bat that can definitely turn it around.

“He worked the whole at-bat to get to 3-2. He earned that fastball.”

Davis’s hit came in his first plate appearance since he and Ruben Tejada met with manager Terry Collins and front office members Tuesday night. The possibility of a demotion for both players was discussed.

“We’re all rooting for Ike,” Collins said. “You have to root for him. He’s a tremendous guy. He’s a big part of this team. I think David [Wright] said it best, if we’re going to have a chance to win here — and that means this year, we’re not talking championship — if we’re going to have a chance to win baseball games, Ike Davis needs to be in the middle of that lineup.”

While Davis was able to feel relieved about getting a hit with a possible demotion to Triple-A Las Vegas looming, Phelps had his night ended at 31 pitches with the Yankees in a 5-0 hole.

“It is what it is,” Davis said. “He basically just said that I’ve got to play better. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’ve been trying to do that for a long time now. Nothing really has changed.

“Obviously I don’t like playing bad. The fire’s been lit for a while. I’ve been upset all year.”

As for Phelps, he became the first Yankee to exit with only one recorded out in a non-injury situation at home since Mike Witt on June 1, 1993. He also became the second Yankee starter to exit that early in a Subway Series game, joining Darrell Rasner who left after two batters due to injury May 19, 2007 at Shea Stadium.

Phelps was pitching after taking a ball off the forearm Friday.

“He felt great yesterday,” manager Joe Girardi said. “He just had a stinker.”

The Yankees’ attempt at avoiding a season-high fourth consecutive defeat stopped at three runs. They avoided a shutout on Brennan Boesch’s home run in the fourth and scored two in the sixth on RBI singles by Boesch and Jayson Nix but did not get any closer.

About the only highlight for the Yankees was the relief performance of Ivan Nova, who struck out six in five innings.

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Before Ike Davis hit three home runs off Ian Kennedy in Arizona on July 28, 2012, he had a .207 batting average. He would bat .262 for the rest of the season to salvage a terrible start.

Lyle Overbay was on the opposing team and during the two games in Queens this week, Overbay engaged Davis in conversation at first base to remind him of those three swings.

“I’ve talked to him,” Overbay said. “He can hit. I even reminded him and even told him that when he hit those three home runs at Arizona against Kennedy, he never looked back. That was it. He couldn’t get out of here fast enough. I don’t know personally, but it seemed like when he hit that, the next day you could tell he was a totally different hitter.”

Even with Overbay’s positive reinforcement, Davis is not close to that average. He is 4-for-53 over his last 16 games and took a .152 average into last night’s game.

One of those four was his game-winning single in the eighth inning off Atlanta reliever Cory Gearrin. Davis followed it up with six hitless at-bats and five strikeouts against the Yankees.

That type of thing is not unusual according to Overbay, who started 2010 with Toronto batting .181 in his first 40 games after batting .265 the previous season. Overbay eventually got over .200 but it started with a sustained stretch, including a 10-for-26 week after being at .181.

“Just when you think you’ve made that adjustment, you make that adjustment and it doesn’t work. You go for two or three days and it still doesn’t work, you naturally push the panic button. It’s frustrating. I don’t wish it upon anybody,” Overbay said. “It is weird how you play this game our whole lives, make adjustments and all of sudden those adjustments don’t work. You’re lost. You’re just kind of like, ‘What’s going on?’ You’re looking at video. You’re dissecting everything and anything and a lot of it is in your head.

“From experience there was a time where I got a couple of hits but I didn’t feel right. So it’s like you’re not there yet. So that’s when everybody comes up to you and goes ‘Oh yeah, that’s it, you’re going to breakout and you’re going to go hot.’ I hope so but I don’t have a feel for it. I never got that feeling. It was just those two hits that I got was more luck than anything.”

For Overbay, the biggest indicator he was struggling was compensating to hit inside pitches or diving for outside pitches. It came down to being more comfortable during at-bats, which is what many say is more important than any kind of mechanical adjustment.

“It’s different for everybody,” Overbay said. “For me it was when I was in the box comfortable, I’m like, ‘OK that is it.’ I’m not feeling terrible. If I’m comfortable in the box, that’s a beginning, my mind’s right.”

Collins mum on meeting with Davis, Tejada

Reports surfaced Wednesday that manager Terry Collins and members of the Mets front office met with Ike Davis and Ruben Tejada after Tuesday’s win and told the struggling infielders that a demotion to Triple-A Las Vegas could occur if their struggles persist.

Despite winning in the ninth inning on Tuesday, it was a rough night for the pair. Davis went 0-for-3, while Tejada committed his eighth error, got picked off second base and extended his hitless drought to 12 at-bats.

“I understand that was going to be asked today,” Collins said. “I’ll also tell you that when I have a meeting in my office, it stays in my office. If I wanted to broadcast what was being said to players on a daily basis, I’d invite everybody in. So I’ll leave it at that.”

What Collins was more expansive on was the fact he felt Tejada had better at-bats Tuesday and Davis made a few unspecified adjustments that helped him see the ball better.

Tejada saw 20 pitches out of the leadoff spot Tuesday after seeing 17 the previous night and grounding out twice on three-ball counts.

“Anytime you’re struggling, it’s going to be in the back of your mind, it has to,” Collins said. “You start searching for answers. The only answer is you have to get comfortable in the batter’s box, keep your head down and see the baseball.”

Both players declined to speak about the meeting at the end of batting practice.

Jeter visits Stadium, plays catch

The timeline for Derek Jeter’s return remains unknown but playing catch for the first time since suffering a second fracture in his left ankle on April 18, seems to indicate some kind of progress is taking place.

Jeter was at Yankee Stadium Wednesday for a brief workout and played catch for the first time since the second fracture. The next step is for him to begin fielding grounders and hitting if a CT scan shows progress in the ankle initially fractured in Game 1 of the 2012 ALCS against Detroit.

“I just started throwing today,” Jeter said. “I’ve got another test in the next week and a half and after that I’ll know [more]. I can’t run. I can’t do anything like that until the next test. We’ll wait to see what happens.”

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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For the first time in Mariano Rivera’s career he blew a save without recording an out. And it came against the Yankees’ intracity rivals.

Lucas Duda plated David Wright with the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Mets rallied for a 2-1 win over the Yankees.

The Mets entered the ninth down 1-0 after a brilliant start by Hiroki Kuroda. But Daniel Murphy led off the inning with a double against Rivera. The Mets’ second baseman scored on Wright’s RBI single. Wright hustled to second on the throw home as Murphy scored. Duda finished off the rally with a solid single over Robinson Cano to right.

“They [have] to learn from this,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “That’s what it takes sometimes — a stinkin’ single to win a game. You don’t have to hit a ball in the seats all the time.”

The question going into the game was whether the Subway Series stage would be too big for Matt Harvey. The right-hander answered the question with a resounding no.

Harvey was dominant in striking out 10 in eight innings. He yielded just six hits and one run but took a no decision.

“He threw a good game,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He has command of four pitches.”

Lyle Overbay’s RBI single in the sixth which plated Brett Gardner was Harvey’s lone mistake. After watching the play unfold, the right-hander kicked the dirt on the pitchers’ mound.

“I don’t want to give up runs,” Harvey said. “It was a pitch I wanted [to take] back.”

Before the bottom of the ninth, it appeared as if Harvey was in line for his first loss of the season. Even with the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 hitters in the lineup coming to bat, the Mets trailed 1-0 and Rivera was taking the mound for what will most likely be his last Subway Series game at Citi Field.

Nine pitches later, Duda was being mobbed by his teammates while the Yankees (30-21) trudged off the field with their third loss in as many games.

“You can’t figure it out. There [are] no words to explain it right now,” Collins said. “I just hope it gets the lineup going. I just hope it gets everyone going a little bit where they realize, hey, look you don’t have to hit home runs to make a difference.”

For the second night in a row, Brett Gardner robbed Murphy of an extra-base hit in the sixth inning. In the series opener, Gardner’s leaping catch at the wall took away a home run from the Mets second baseman. Last night, the Yankees centerfielder leapt at the wall to take away what would have been an RBI double.

Mets manager Terry Collins was in the locker room for the action in the ninth, as he was ejected three innings earlier. After Ruben Tejada was picked off at second to end the inning, he immediately began protesting the call to second base umpire Adrian Johnson. Initially, Johnson called Tejada safe, before changing the call without consulting another umpire. Collins interceded and was ejected from the game for his troubles. Collins, who was animated throughout the argument, kicked over the first base bag as he stormed off the field.

“I was not very happy with what happened. I’ve never seen [a call] changed like that,” Collins said. The manager later added Tejada “can’t get picked off.”

The Mets improved to 20-29 on the season and have won three in a row, including consecutive games against their intracity rivals. The Mets only managed seven hits off of starter Hiroki Kuroda (6-3) and relievers David Robertson and Rivera (0-1). It was the first blown save in 19 chances for Rivera this season.

“Our guy threw a good game, too,” Girardi said of Kuroda.

Ike Davis, who was dropped to eighth in the order, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He received a mock cheer for making contact when he grounded out to Overbay to lead off the eighth.

The start of the game was delayed 91 minutes due to rain. Before the game started, the Mets honored by Rivera by having the future Hall of Famer throw out a ceremonial first pitch to former Mets closer John Franco.

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Count Jeff Wilpon among those who do not believe there will be a third installment of the Subway Series this year.

During a pregame ceremony honoring Mariano Rivera, the Mets’ chief operating officer told the future Hall of Famer, “I wish we could see you in the World Series but I don’t think it will happen.”

Rivera responded, “You never know.”

The Mets entered the second of four Subway Series games this week in fourth place in the NL East with a 19-29 record. The Yankees are 30-20 and in second place in the AL East.

Wilpon and FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano presented Rivera with a mounted nozzle from a fire hose and a mounted fire call box. Wilpon also asked Rivera to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Rain games

Both Mets manager Terry Collins and Yankees manager Joe Girardi were concerned about the heavy rains delaying Tuesday night’s nationally televised game.

It rained steadily for three and a half hours in the afternoon, and reports suggested the inclement weather could have continued into the night.

“I don’t think either manager wants to have a [situation where the game is restarted] or you’re not able to finish the game,” Girardi said in his pregame press conference. “We’ll have to see what the weather’s like. I’ve heard different scenarios, whether we could start it later than seven o’clock and we’ll be fine. I’ve also heard there [are] thundershowers [in the forecast]. I guess it’s one of those things where you look up at the sky and see if it’s raining.”

Collins was adamant MLB would not start the game, only to postpone it later.

“Due to the nature of the game, if this is going to be played, they’re going to go longer than three [innings],” Collins said. “The weather report as of right now, it looks like we’re going to be sitting here for awhile. Hopefully, maybe by eight it [breaks] up where [the game can be played].

“I know one thing: They’re not going to start this game in either case. It’s too big a game for both teams — look at the guys we [have] going — to think ‘Hey, let’s get three or four innings in, maybe five.’ I don’t think that will be the case.”

The game’s start ended up being delayed an hour and 40 minutes.

Parnell unavailable

Bobby Parnell was not available to pitch last night’s game. The Mets closer threw 20 pitches in Monday night’s 2-1 win over the Yankees.

“He thought he might need a day,” Collins said, adding “it would be a matchup thing” when asked who would close.

Yankee injuries

Girardi said Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis will play in Double-A Trenton today. Joba Chamberlain was activated from the DL. David Huff was designated for assignment in the corresponding roster move.

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Daniel Murphy spiked the bat as he ran up the first base line. When he reached the bag, the second baseman unleashed a primal scream.

Murphy’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth plated Jordany Valdespin with the game-winning run in the Mets’ 2-1 win over the Yankees in the first game of the Subway Series Monday night at Citi Field.

“Dan’s hit tonight meant something,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “I know it’s the Yankees, and they’re used to playing in these games and all this stuff. For us, it’s a big win. The way we’ve been going, it’s huge for us. So a little emotion is involved. If they take offense to it, I don’t know what we’re going to do about it except play again [Tuesday].”

The Mets (19-29) have won consecutive games for the first time since May 16-17. The Yankees have lost two in a row.

“Two in a row,” David Wright said. “Got [Matt Harvey] going [Tuesday and maybe it gives] us some momentum.”

Murphy’s game-winning RBI broke a 1-1 deadlock. With two outs and runners on the corners, Murphy won a five-pitch at-bat against David Robertson (3-1) by slapping a cutter to centerfield that scored Jordany Valdespin.

“I was able to get a positive count,” Murphy said. “I got a pitch in the zone and centered it.”

That the Mets were in position to win the first of four Subway Series games this week in part to strong work from Wright and Jon Niese.

Wright’s solo home run to lead off the seventh tied the game at 1-1. He also tripled in the first and started an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play in the second, when the Yankees had the bases loaded.

“Big players make big plays,” Collins said. “That’s what he is. That’s why he’s the captain. It amazing how many times those guys come through for you when you need them.”

Even though Niese (3-5) did not earn a decision, he threw seven sterling innings, allowing just one run on eight hits while walking one. He struck out four.

The lone run Niese allowed was due to Mike Baxter misplaying Jayson Nix’s dying quail in the sixth inning. Baxter took a step back, then charged in and attempted to make a sliding catch. The ball landed short of his glove and rolled past Baxter, who had no shot to recover in time to get Brett Gardner at the plate. Gardner had led off the inning with a triple.

“He got outs when he had to,” Collins said. “He got us to where we needed to get. He didn’t let the game get out of control.”

Niese was matched by crosstown counterpart Phil Hughes (2-3), who scattered four hits and struck out six in seven innings.

“It was a good outing for him,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “I thought he commanded the strike zone pretty well. I thought he used his off-speed pretty well tonight. It’s good to see. The last game, he gave us six innings, I believe it was. So it’s good to see him put a couple good ones back to back.”

He was aided by strong defensive play in the field, highlighted by Gardner robbing Murphy of a homer to end the bottom of the sixth inning.

“It’s pretty special,” Girardi said of Gardner’s catch. “It looked for awhile [like Gardner] was going to be the star of the game, with the triple and then taking away the home run. But it didn’t end up that way, unfortunately. Tremendous catch by [Gardner].”

The Yankees have lost two in a row, and coupled with Boston’s 9-3 win over the Phillies Monday night, they dropped to second in the AL East.

Brandon Lyon (2-2) threw a shutout eighth to earn the win. Bobby Parnell recorded his eighth save.

“I think he’s come of age, for sure,” Collins said of Parnell. “I think this is another big step for him to move forward in this role, which I think he’s obviously taken. I think he’s going to keep it and I think he’s going to be a good one for a long time.”

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Joe Girardi sends Hiroki Kuorda to the mound Tuesday night to face Mets phenom Matt Harvey.
Credit: Getty Images

Matt Harvey has an admirer in Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

“Just watching him on TV, he’s impressive,” Girardi said of Harvey prior to the start of the Subway Series. Harvey will start today’s game against the Yankees at Citi Field.

The right-hander is 5-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 70 innings this season. Dating back to last July, when he was called up from Triple-A, Harvey is 8-5 in 20 starts with a 2.30 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 129 1/3 innings.

“I actually watched his first start [a 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks in Arizona on July 26, 2012],” Girardi said. “I called my buddy — he’s a Mets fan — and I told him ‘You have something to be excited about.’ This kid’s got a great arm. He’s been impressive all year long. I’ve seen some of his games on TV. We’ll get a chance to see him in person.”

Girardi admitted he has dual purposes for watching Harvey’s starts.

“The first time I watched [him] was because I [am] a fan of the game and have interest in New York baseball since I live here,” Girardi said. “Now I watch games because I [knew] we were playing them fairly quickly. Usually teams we’re going to play, I try to tune into those games if I can.”

Mets like Ike … again

Could one base hit salvage Ike Davis’ season?

Davis’s two-run single in the bottom of the eighth Sunday night was the difference in the Mets’ 4-2 win over the Braves. Davis recorded two hits and a walk in four at-bats, and raised his batting average to .158.

“I think the one at-bat was huge,” manager Terry Collins said. “But the four at-bats was what I was impressed with. Much quieter in the batters’ box. Head, a lot less movement than he’s had in weeks. A whole different approach as far as body language, and he was relaxed for some reason.

“I just thought his whole approach was better. Certainly if there was a time for somebody to get a hit, last night was it.”

No longer shiny?

Has the Subway Series, now in its 17th year, lost its luster?

Not according to Girardi.

“I enjoy the series,” Girardi said. “It’s great for the city; it’s fun for the players. [It is] something different and obviously there’s emotion in it. Probably the game I remember the most was [the Yankees’ 9-8 win over the Mets at Yankee Stadium on June 12, 2009 when then-Mets second baseman Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez’s two-out, bottom of the ninth popup, and Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira scored the tying and winning runs]. … It was  a crazy night but I enjoyed it.”

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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This year’s Major League Baseball All-Star game will take place in New York City, but the focus won’t be entirely on the field.

MLB will hold a fundraiser and 5K All-Star Fun Run on July 13, and all net profits will go to benefit Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

Racers will hit their stride in Prospect Park, and prizes will be awarded to the winners.

Participants can register on the MLB website to create a fundraising team.

Top teams will have the chance to throw the first pitch at this year’s Home Run Derby or play an all-star game of softball.

Fans can also register to be a part of the team with four-time All-Star and New York native John Franco, who is now in the New York Mets Hall of Fame.

MLB and its players association donated $1 million to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Feeding America immediately after the storm struck. The Mets team sent players with emergency food and supplies to damaged areas.

This is the fourth MLB All-Star Fun Run.

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There are two things manager Charlie Manuel loves: hittin’ season and home runs.

It was just like the glory days last night at Citizens Bank Park as the Phillies pummeled the Mets, 7-3, taking their first series of the season. All seven of the Phillies’ runs were courtesy of the long ball. Chase Utley slammed a two-run homer. Domonic Brown blasted a three-run shot into the upper deck in right field giving the Phillies a 5-0 lead after one inning.

“[Mets starter Jeremy Hefner] threw me a changeup in and I reacted and got a good pitch to hit,” Brown said. “It was right there for me.”

Brown forgot about the monster shot as soon as he touched the plate.

“Then I was just thinking about my next at bat,” Brown said. “ I have to stay focused. I know what I’m capable of and I know what we’re capable of doing as a team. We got guys that can hit the ball hard and hit it out of the park.”

Laynce Nix also hit a two-run bomb, which was all the offense the Phillies needed.

Kyle Kendrick, who gave up eight hits and two runs, battled for six innings. Kendrick pitched out of trouble for much of the night.

“He got out of some jams,” Manuel said. “He took us where we needed to go.”

Michael Young, who went 2-for-3, continues to swing a hot bat. Young is hitting .562 with four extra-base hits in his last four games.

“I feel fine,” Young said. “Hitting is contagious. I’ve started to get hot and I think it’s starting to spread around. I’m not surprised that we’re starting to put up good offensive numbers. We have a lot of talent on this team. Look at this lineup. We’ve been hitting and we’ve also been getting good pitching. The pitching was fine tonight.”

Kendrick, who is 1-1, wasn’t in sync during the first two innings.

“I was trying to find a tempo, a quick rhythm,” Kendrick said. “I threw a lot of pitches early and then had some quick innings. I felt as the game went on, I got stronger. I did whatever it took to get outs. It was nice to get out of jams. I did what I needed to do to avoid big innings. So now we’re heading down to Miami [to face the Marlins] feeling good since we won the series.”

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Substantial early leads have not translated into wins for the Phillies this season, until they beat the Mets 8-3 last night at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies blew a pair of 4-0 leads to the Royals over the weekend but Charlie Manuel’s squad, who were up 4-0 over the Mets after two innings Tuesday night, went for the jugular this time.

“Against Kansas City, we came out of the gate scoring,” third baseman Michael Young said. “But we didn’t get anything going after that. That’s something that we’re aware of. We didn’t want to take the foot off the gas [tonight].”

The Phillies crushed Mets starter Dillon Gee, who gave up back-to-back homers to first baseman Ryan Howard and Michael Young. Right fielder John Mayberry also went deep against Gee, who gave up 10 hits and seven runs in three innings.

Cliff Lee, who gave up eight hits and three runs (two earned) in 8 2/3 innings, wasn’t as sharp against the Mets as he was in his stellar debut against the Braves. But that didn’t matter since the offense was clicking.

Young, who drove in a pair, was a double short of the cycle. It’s the 29th time Young was one hit shy of the cycle, which is more uncommon than a no-hitter.

“The stars have to be aligned a bit for the cycle,” Young said. “I did it in college, I’m good.”

Young just wanted to win the game for Lee, who he bonded with when they were teammates with the Rangers in 2010.

“Cliff’s awesome,” Young said. “He’s a baseball player who pitches.”

Lee smiled when he heard Young’s description.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Lee said. “When you’re in the National League, you feel more like a baseball player because you hit.”

Lee, who is 2-0, kept a rally going in the second inning with an RBI single.

“I enjoy hitting,” Lee said. “It’s the funnest part of baseball. But I know I’m paid to pitch.”

The Phillies need a stopper and Lee has been just that. Their starting pitching has ranged from terrible (Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels) to decent (John Lannan and Kyle Kendrick) to exceptional (Lee) and Manuel is quick to acknowledge that.

“He pitched two of our three wins,” Manuel said. “He pitched real good. Where would we be [without him]? We might be 1-7.”

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Journeyman Marlon Byrd was asked how we felt immediately following yesterday’s walk-off win.

“Feels great. Feels great, man,” Byrd said, minutes after his two-run single in the bottom of the ninth gave the Mets a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Marlins at Citi Field.

With the win, the Mets ended the six-game, season-opening homestand with a 4-2 record.

“I think 4-2 is a pretty good start,” Ike Davis said. “You want to win series at home.”

Byrd slapped a 1-0 sinker from Steve Cishek up the third base line to plate Ruben Tejada and Kirk Nieuwenhuis with the game-tying and game-winning runs before being mobbed by his teammates.
Byrd’s game-winner was his only hit in three at-bats. He came into the game in the fifth inning as part of a double switch when starter Aaron Laffey was pulled.

“Nice to come through,” Byrd said. “This is the first big one of many.”

Byrd played winter ball in Mexico in an attempt to rebuild his career, and was signed by the Mets to a minor-league deal in February. Byrd said his role is to be a “veteran presence” snd help the team’s young outfield of Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter and Lucas Duda.

“[It’s] got to be amazing for him. Stuff like that changes your life,” Davis said of Byrd. “He’s fun to be around. He’s got a youthful thing about him. Good energy.”

While Byrd’s game-winner took center stage, it was the opening act that had the Mets tipping their caps as Jose Fernandez, the 14th overall pick in the 2011 draft, made his major-league debut.

Fernandez struck out eight in five innings, the most ever in Marlins history for a starter making his first career start. He threw 80 pitches, 53 for strikes. He allowed one run — Anthony Recker’s RBI double in the fifth — on three hits and walked one.

Before the game, manager Terry Collins offered a prescient scouting report.

“I know this kid’s got electric stuff. We’ve heard all about it,” Collins said. “All of the tape and stuff we’ve seen on him, he’s legit. Ninety-five to 97 [mph fastball]. Good curveball. Changeup is a little bit a work in progress but it looks like it’s plus stuff.

“We better have some patience today. When you face a young pitcher who’s amped up, the one thing you can’t do is make the game easy for him. Make him work.”

Fernandez’s performance earned rave reviews from Collins.

“Strikes,” Collins said when asked what was most impressive about the right-hander. “Strike one on almost everybody. [He] threw his breaking ball behind in some counts. [He] wasn’t behind very much. [I] looked up and it was the sixth inning, he had 58 pitches. That’s pretty impressive for a young guy with a power arm. You saw the same thing you see in a lot of good young up-and-coming guys. We didn’t get any hits and all of a sudden somebody got to second base, and he went from 94 [mph] to 96 [mph]. When they have that ability to step it up, that’s pretty special.

“He’s pretty impressive.”

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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The Aaron Laffey era will continue for the foreseeable future.

Prior to yesterday’s 4-3 win over the Marlins, manager Terry Collins said there is no timetable for starter Shaun Marcum’s season debut. Marcum has been battling a shoulder impingement and neck discomfort dating back to the last week of March.

“We don’t know. It’s hard to say,” Collins said. “If Shaun comes back pretty fast I would think it’s a couple weeks, so you’re looking at maybe two to three starts.”

Laffey was pulled after 4 1/3 innings Sunday after being pounded for 10 hits and three earned runs. Unless he gets sent down, Laffey should start in the interleague series against the Twins at Target Field this weekend.

Outfield flexibility

By Collins’s own admission, the Mets outfield-by-committee is not ideal. In an idyllic scenario, the manager would have a unit he could pencil in for at least 120 games.

What he has is flexibility.

“In a perfect world, you’d like to have your three guys out there and give them days off. But right now we’re going to mix and match. It keeps everybody sharp. It keeps everybody ready when they come to the ballpark. I don’t think it’s a major factor,” Collins said. “Next week, we’re going to have to have a DH, so most likely one of those guys is going to DH, which is going to get someone else in the lineup. Right now, it’s an easy way to figure out who we want to play and know that we got some guys on the bench who are ready to come off with a quality at-bat.”

Every Met outfielder has played during the season-opening homestand. Collins has had an outfielder lead off every game. Colin Cowgill has led off four times, including Sunday’s finale, while Jordany Valdespin and Mike Baxter each batted lead-off for one game.

“When we used Mike Baxter it was because 50-50 he walks. He gets on base. He’s willing to work the count. He’s willing to see pitches. And that helps a lot to the other guys in the lineup,” Collins said. “In Jordany’s case, if you give him a first pitch fastball, it’s going to be 1-0.

“Same thing with Colin. Colin is very dangerous up there. They can both steal bases. Mike’s not necessarily the prototypical base stealer but he’s a good baserunner. They get themselves in scoring position. So when you write the whole picture of who’s playing, we know who’s hitting third, who’s hitting fourth, who’s hitting second. All of a sudden, you say, ‘Hey, which one of these guys is left over who is a comparable leadoff guy?’ That’s how we’ve come up with some of those [batting orders].”

The Mets begin a 10-game road trip tonight in Philadelphia. Matt Harvey (1-0, 0.00 ERA) and Roy Halladay (0-1, 13.50) are the scheduled starters.

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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David Wright had to think when asked what attribute would best describe his team in a Sunday morning press conference.

After a moment, he settled on “scrappy.”

Roughly 29 hours later, the 2013 Mets began the process of living up to their captain’s appraisal.

There was nothing aesthetically pleasing about the Mets’ 11-2 Opening Day win over the Padres at Citi Field Monday afternoon. Instead, what the announced 41,053 in attendance witnessed was a three hour and 20 minute ode to fundamental baseball.

The Mets improved to an MLB-best 34-18 on Opening Day with an offensive attack that plated 11 runs on 13 hits. The Mets finished the afternoon 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Seven players recorded at least one RBI, and five others recorded at least one two-out RBI.

Colin Cowgill set a career high with four RBI, all coming in the seventh with his two-out grand slam. Cowgill’s first major-league grand slam increased the lead to 11-2. Wright went 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases.

Marlon Byrd finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. John Buck and Ruben Tejada each went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI.

Defensively, the Mets committed only one error, and Jon Niese threw 6 2/3 strong innings to earn the win in his first opening day start. He allowed what looks to be a bad Padres team only four hits and two runs. Niese also reached base in all three plate appearances with two singles and walk. He also drove in the second run of the season for the Mets.

Brandon Lyon, Scott Atchison and Scott Rice combined to throw a perfect 2 1/3 innings in relief of Niese.

It was as close to a perfect start as could be for a team whose manager has emphasized playing the game “the right way” throughout his tenure as manager.

Simply, the Mets were a Tom Emanski Instructional Video. What they weren’t was flashy.

That trait is characteristic of the reigning NL East champion Nationals.

Three hours and 59 minutes southwest of Citi Field, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg took turns dominating the moribund Marlins, in the Nationals’ 2-0 Opening Day win at Nationals Park.

Harper became the youngest player in MLB history to hit two home runs in his team’s first game of a season, while Strasburg limited the Marlins to three hits in seven innings. The win was the first of the season for a team many predict will win the World Series.

The Nationals win was marked by on-field award presentations and curtain calls. For Mets fans of a certain vintage, if you shut your eyes, your memory took you back to Queens in the late 1980s and the Davey Johnson-managed Mets.

He’s remembered fondly around these parts for being the on-field leader of a brash, brawling, star-laden squad to its second World Series championship. He is expected to lead a brash, star-laden squad to its first World Series championship in his last season as a manager.

The expectations in Queens this year are decidedly different than they are in our nation’s capital. The Nationals are expected to win while the Mets are setting the foundation for the future.

Yet on Opening Day, everyone’s a contender — even a scrappy team.

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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And then you have Pistons rookie Andre Drummond shooting free throws.

Drummond is a 6-foot-11 power forward with absurd athleticism. Check out his performance in last year’s UConn Midnight Madness dunk contest. (That’s the best dunk contest, pro or college, since Vince Carter in 2000 by the way.)

But he can’t shoot free throws. At all. Shaquille O’Neal, the baseline for all bad free-throw shooters, shot 52.7 percent from the line over his career. Drummond is shooting 35.2 percent this year. Yeah, you read that correctly. It’s not an aberration either. He shot even worse — 29.5 percent — in college.

We give you Exhibit A (and B?) at the top of the post in the form of last night’s two (TWO!) airball performance. Yes, Drummond actually airballed back-to-back free-throw attempts in one trip. That takes talent.

My favorite part is the benchwarmer on Chicago who jumps out of his chair when Drummond whiffs on the second shot. Nothing like a guy getting five minutes per game celebrating a missed free throw.

Mets add to Harlem Shake annoyance

The Mets dropped a Harlem Shake video over the weekend, continuing the trend that just won’t die. Please, please let it die.

Anyway, public relations guru and “King of the buttdial” Jay Horwitz kicks it off with his epileptic seizures, which he apparently calls dancing. Horwitz is crazy by the way, and in his 34th year as a P.R. man for the Mets, so he’s definitely a must-follow on Twitter.

It’s not as good as the Heat’s Harlem Shake video, but it’s entertaining nonetheless. The best part is actually LaTroy Hawkins and David Wright’s choreographed dance in manager Terry Collins’s office at the end, so be sure to watch the whole thing.

My question, where did they get all those costumes?

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports. He promises not to do a Harlem Shake video.

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The Mets are acutely aware of what the baseball world thinks of them.

It does not mean the Mets believe the doom-and-gloom prophecy.

“I think we’ll win. We’ll win,” Opening Day starter Jon Niese said in a press conference Sunday morning prior to the Mets’ optional workout at Citi Field. The Mets will officially begin their 51st season this afternoon at home against the Padres.

Today’s outing marks the first time in Niese’s four full seasons with the Mets he will make the Opening Day start. He will be opposed by Edison Volquez.

Niese went 2-0 in five spring training starts. He finished with a 1.23 ERA in 22 innings, while limiting opponents to a .167 batting average.

He will face a Padres squad whose 43 home runs were fifth most in spring training. San Diego’s .282 team batting average was third best in the National League.

“It’s kind of sunk in now that we’re at Citi Field,” Niese said. “[Monday] I’ll be a little more anxious. I’m not going to treat it as an Opening Day. I’m going to treat it as a midseason start. Just be ready for it.”

The Mets have finished fourth each of the last four seasons and look to be weaker than divisional rivals Washington, Atlanta and Philadelphia. Factor in Johan Santana undergoing season-ending surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left, throwing shoulder — it is the same surgery that cost Santana the entire 2011 season — plus a makeshift outfield and bullpen, and it appears the Mets are earmarked for a fifth-straight fourth place finish.

Yet the forecast is merely white noise to manager Terry Collins, who was unequivocal about what he will require from him team.

“We have to play the game right. We have to stay healthy. We have to execute. We can’t go and make two or three errors a night. We have 27 outs that we have to limit the other team [to]. Do what we did in the first half [of the 2012 season and] come up with big hits at the right time. Everybody’s got a piece here. Don’t think for one second in this clubhouse [that the Mets aren’t] going to have success because that’s what we’re going to do this season,” Collins said.

The manager then shared his message to the team Saturday before they departed Port St. Lucie, Fla. for Queens.

“[I] went over what the expectations are here. We don’t just show up and play here. There are expectations to play in this city. Our fans deserve a maximum effort each and every night,” Collins said. “I know we’ve got the right guys to do that. We’ve got the right mix of guys here. Now we just got to go play.

“[I] told the guys yesterday, ‘You want to be on the biggest stage? This is it.’ There [are] expectations in our clubhouse. I know what the feeling is on the outside especially [without] Johan. We’ve got guys who are not here, R.A. [Dickey] is not here. But you know what? You’re major league players. I’m sorry. The minute you just think you [can] show up and you’re a big league player, that’s not going to fly here. We’re going to find people who are going to play the game the right way, do things the right way and if they’re not in that clubhouse, we’ll go find them. If they’re in [Triple-A] Las Vegas, we’ll bring them up here.”

Should the Mets finish fourth or worse in the division, it would be the third-longest stretch of futility in franchise history. The 1962-68 editions finished no higher than ninth in a 10-team National League, while the 1977-83 squads finished in sixth place five times and in fifth place twice.

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Johan Santana’s up-and-down career with the Mets is likely over.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told reporters Thursday night that Santana had reinjured his surgically repaired left shoulder and would miss the entire season. He will return to New York for further evaluation, but he is expected to need another major surgery on his throwing shoulder. He was examined by team doctor David Altchek, who performed the original surgery, and Dr. James Andrews. Both concurred the anterior capsule had been torn again.

“If this diagnosis proves to be correct, I think in all likelihood Johan will be lost to the Mets for the season,” Alderson told reporters.

Mets beat writers covering the final weekend of spring training in Florida were notified Alderson would be speaking to the press Thursday night, whereupon he broke the news.

Santana was shut down last season after 21 starts, though no official injury was diagnosed. He had missed the entire 2011 season after the initial surgery to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder and the team felt Santana needed to be shut down early after struggling much of the second half of the season.

Santana threw the first no-hitter in Mets history June 1 against the Cardinals, but threw 134 pitches in doing so. He was 3-7 with an 8.27 ERA in his 10 starts after the no-hitter.

“What we do know is at some point symptoms appeared and they worsened instead of improved,” Alderson told reporters. “We simply don’t know when this occurred.”

Santana is in his final season as a Met. He is due $25 million this season, but the team has an option for 2014. At $25.5 million, they will not pick it up and instead pay the $5.5 million buyout. It was widely expected that the Mets would look to trade Santana for prospects should he pitch well enough this season. They took a similar tactic with Carlos Beltran, who they traded for current top prospect Zack Wheeler two years ago.

Santana, a two-time Cy Young winner with Minnesota, was acquired in a trade with the Twins in February 2008. He was 46-34 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in four seasons for New York.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

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The Mets are armed and ready. Well, maybe they’re just armed.

It was mid-February when manager Terry Collins told reporters at the Mets’ training facility that the organization was “optimistic about our pitching staff.”

Whether the Mets starters can carry out their marching orders begins Monday afternoon at Citi Field. The Mets will begin their 51st season with Jon Niese making the Opening Day start against the Padres.

“I thought after last season, especially at the end of last season, Jon Niese stepped forward to be the pitcher everyone expected him to be,” Collins said. “He’s had a very, very good spring. We feel very, very confident that he’s the right guy to start this off.”

He is 1-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 17 2/3 innings this spring.

It will be imperative that the young arms keep a decidedly flawed team at-or-above .500 in the first two month as it appears the Mets will start the season without starters Johan Santana, Shaun Marcum and Jeremy Hefner.

Niese will likely be followed in the rotation by Matt Harvey and Dillon Gee. Harvey electrified in his eight starts after being called up in July, going 3-5 in 10 starts with 70 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. Gee went 6-7 in 17 starts with a 4.10 ERA in 109 2/3 innings before his 2012 season ended due to a blood clot in a right shoulder artery.

Santana told reporters last weekend he did “not know when I’m going to be pitching again.” Santana’s words echoed those of Collins, who said the lefty was not going to start the season with the major-league club.

The organization shut down Santana last August due to inflammation in his lower back. Santana compiled a 6-9 record with 4.88 ERA last years after missing the 2011 season recuperating from anterior capsule surgery on his left shoulder.

At the time Santana was shut down, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said the ace was “prescribed rest, medication and, of course, intermittent exercise,” but “there is no issue with his ankle, no issue with his shoulder. Obviously with a back problem and continuing to pitch, that [in] itself could lead to problems with the shoulder or the ankle or the elbow, and [that’s] another reason why we’re trying to be cautious about this.”

Unlike the winter between the 2011 and 2012 season, where he began throwing in December, Santana did not throw this offseason until February, which was pointed out by Alderson and Collins.

The Mets shut down Santana in February with shoulder weakness after a bullpen session in February. Collins speculated that it may take at least a month for Santana to get into game condition.

Santana is scheduled to make $25.5 million this season. The Mets have a $25 million option for the 2014 season but it is not likely the organization will exercise it. Instead, it is believed they will pay the $5.5 million buyout and Santana will become a free agent.

Marcum, whom the Mets signed the right-hander to a one-year, $4 million contract over the winter, has been idled due to shoulder and neck pain. The organization said on its Twitter feed that Marcum’s “shoulder impingement is improving. His neck discomfort is being treated with anti-inflammatories.”

Collins told reporters Marcum “hasn’t pitched in two weeks” making it unlikely the middle-of-the-rotation starter could pitch in the season-opening homestand.

“I’d be real surprised,” Collins said.

Hefner suffered an “elbow contusion” according to the organization when he was struck by a batted ball in Tuesday’s 11-4 loss to St. Louis. While the injury is not expected to be serious, Hefner could miss his season-opening start.

Even though the injuries would appear to open a spot in the rotation, Zack Wheeler will not get the opportunity to start the season in Queens. The crown jewel of the Mets farm system, Wheeler threw only two innings in spring training due to a strained oblique.

“I’m not happy,” Wheeler told reporters when it was reported that he was going to start the season at Triple-A Las Vegas. “I wanted to sort of get out there and prove myself. Hopefully, I’ll be up there soon.”

This is not the first time the current organizational regime has decided to be patient with its highly touted prospects. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud, acquired in the R.A. Dickey trade, was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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No need to worry Mets fans, your club is not burdened by financial problems anymore. They’ve just yet to actually show it.

Owner Fred Wilpon met with the media yesterday for the first time as spring training opened in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

“It’s all in the rearview mirror,” Wilpon told reporters yesterday. “The family is in great shape. The family really is in great shape.”

Wilpon touted his improved economic standing since settling with the trust for Bernie Madoff, saying his real estate business is doing better as is the team’s network, SNY.

The Mets have slashed payroll recently, however, from $142 million in 2011 to just $94 million last season. That number will be approximately the same in 2013. They signed no major free agents in the offseason, though they did pursue Michael Bourn, before he chose to sign with the Indians earlier this week.

“I think we would anticipate being big investors [next offseason] if that were appropriate,” Wilpon said. “That depends on what the market is.”

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The Mets will have to piece together an outfield from spare parts after all.

Free agent centerfielder Michael Bourn has signed a four-year, $48 million deal with the Indians, according to multiple reports.

The Mets were unlikely to have been able to match a contract for that amount of money or years. It was still likely a long shot, but the team did publicly express interest in the outfielder. The issue for the Mets was that signing Bourn would result in losing their first-round pick to the Braves as compensation.

According to MLB rules, elite free agents — as Bourn was graded by the league — require the surrendering of a first-round pick to sign, unless the pick is in the Top 10 in the draft. The Mets’ original pick was No. 10, meaning they would’ve only had to surrender their second-round pick, but they were bumped down to No. 11 when the Pirates were unable to sign last year’s first-round pick, pitcher Mark Appel.

There had been rumors the Mets would challenge the ruling and hope to be considered to have a Top-10 pick due to the technicality. The New York Post reported late Monday the ruling would’ve taken “two to three weeks” to be made.

The process never made it that far, however.

Bourn, 30, played for the Braves the past year and half where he developed into a capable leadoff hitter. He had an average of .275 with a .341 on-base percentage during his time in Atlanta. He spent the previous three and a half years in Houston. He has always been one of the preeminent base stealers in the league, leading the NL in stolen bases three straight seasons from 2009-11.

The Mets have yet to formalize an outfield as they piece together minor leaguers and veteran players. The team has Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Lucas Duda, Mike Baxter and Jordany Valdespin, all of whom were developed in their system and saw time last season with varying success. The team also signed Marlon Byrd and Colin Cowgill in the offseason as veterans.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

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