Castillo removed with bruised left foot

Luis Castillo hobbled off the field before the start of the eighth inning Saturday with what the Mets called a bruised left foot. He's out of the lineup for today's series finale against the Giants, but there's no word beyond that.

"I don't really know how he got hurt," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.

Castillo said through a Mets spokesman that he was injured before yesterday's 5-4 win over San Francisco and that it got worse during the game. Visibly hobbling after a seventh-inning single, he tried to take grounders before the start of the eighth but couldn't continue.

Alex Cora subbed for Castillo, who was 1-for-3 with a walk in the game. His .360 on-base percentage is third among Mets regulars.

Garbage time in the Citi

The windblown plastic bags, napkins and hot dog wrappers were whipping around the field again, turning Citi Field into a breezy day at Fresh Kills Landfill late in the game.

"I actually played out a scenario in my head where the ball went into a plastic bag and I had to play the ball out of it somehow," Jason Bay said.

The garbage was particularly concentrated in Bay's leftfield corner and behind home plate.

"It's kind of our upper hand at home," Bay said. "Boxes, cups, everything - it's one of those things we've kind of gotten used to."

Takahashi does it again

Hisanori Takahashi recorded his third win in his last five outings, again providing key relief. He struck out two in the 11th inning before Henry Blanco ended matters in the bottom of the inning.

Takahashi has 28 strikeouts in 192/3 innings, more Ks than starters Mike Pelfrey (25) and Oliver Perez (20).

"We knew he had great command," Manuel said, "and over his history, he didn't appear to be rattled. And I think, from spring training, we're seeing a little extra on his fastball."