Manuel wants more offense from Mets

HOUSTON - How can the Mets overcome closer Francisco Rodriguez's absence for the rest of the season?

Simple, manager Jerry Manuel said: Score more runs.

"We really have to address our hitting issues," he said. "That's what we're trying to do right now. We're trying to get those things addressed, see if we can simplify some things for us to start scoring runs before we worry about the last three outs we need to get."

To that end, Manuel held a hitters-only meeting in his office before last night's game. The manager walked through the clubhouse at about 3:55 p.m., saying "my office, my office" to the hitters as he passed their lockers.

The meeting lasted five minutes. Only Jose Reyes, who was getting treatment in the trainer's room at the time, missed it.

The Mets went into last night having scored 2.15 runs per game in August. Since the All-Star break, they were hitting .212. They hit .183 and scored just nine runs during the recent six-game homestand.

"It's more of an 'offense taking the pressure off the pitching' a little bit," Manuel said of his message. "Now that we're lacking at the end-of-the-game type thing, it's really important that we add runs, that we do some things offensively, because we have to do that. I think they'll respond."

Ike sits again

Once again, Ike Davis did not start against a lefthander with Mike Hessman playing first. And again, Manuel said he is not platooning the rookie, who is batting .273 vs. lefthanders. And again, his reasoning was hard to follow. "You don't want to keep him going down a path of not having success," Manuel said. "When you bring in young players, if they're on a downward spiral, you want to stop that as much as you can. When he's going good, you give him the opportunity to face a lefty, he might get a couple of hits or he might get an oh-fer, but it's not detrimental to his success for long term."

No. 1 pick signs

The Mets signed their first-round draft pick, righthanded pitcher Matt Harvey, just before the midnight deadline. Terms were not disclosed.