Great atmosphere, but Mets lose in 10

For those expecting the same outpouring of raw emotion as the first post-9/11 game, that wasn't what last night was about at Citi Field.

Last night was about honoring the nation's military members and families. And then it was about baseball, about Mets vs. Giants.

Before there were any "U-S-A, U-S-A" chants, "Let's go, Giants!" was heard when San Francisco scored four runs in the third inning.

Mets fans responded with booing and "Let's go, Mets!"

As American as apple pie.

Unfortunately for Mets fans, the final cheers were for the Giants. Aubrey Huff hit a leadoff homer in the 10th inning off Taylor Buchholz to give the defending World Series champions a 7-6 victory.

The Mets had an opportunity to win with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, but Josh Thole bounced into a 1-2-3 double play to send it to extra innings.

"It was very disappointing," manager Terry Collins said.

Thole had a tough night all around despite getting three singles in five at-bats. He had trouble catching -- not just R.A. Dickey's knuckleball -- as the Mets threw two wild pitches.

Thole also had a throwing error and may have lost his grip on the starting job because of a catching slump.

"We've got to do a better job, for sure," Collins said. "We're going to get him out and do some receiving stuff . . . Maybe let Josh have a chance to clear his head a little bit."

Thole, who said he was "stabbing" at the ball and not letting it come to him, will sit, beginning Wednesday night and Ronny Paulino will start. Thole acknowledged he needs to relax behind the plate, but also said, "I don't feel like I need a mental blow. It's only May."

The Mets had leads of 3-0 (on Carlos Beltran's first-inning, three-run home run) and 5-4 (on Ike Davis' third-inning two-run homer). But Dickey, who allowed six runs and seven hits in six innings, couldn't hold either.

"You score six runs, you need to win the ballgame," Dickey said after the Mets fell to 12-17.

The Mets wore special hats with a red, white and blue "NY" on the front as the team and its fans gave a figurative and literal tip o' the cap to America's heroes.

The team offered tickets to up to 4,000 military members and their families, and a group of white-clad sailors sat in the good seats near the home dugout. The crowd was announced as 32,288.

Members of five branches of the military threw the ceremonial first pitches and "God Bless America" was sung in the seventh inning.

Speaking of the military members and their families, David Wright said, "You try to go out there and you try to put on a good show for them."

The Mets had won their previous game in Philadelphia on Sunday night in the 14th inning in the surreal atmosphere of Citizens Bank Park, where the news about the death of Osama bin Laden swept through the stadium and spontaneous chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A" told the players something special was going on -- even if they weren't sure what it was.

It was the kind of raw emotion that was felt on Sept. 21, 2001, when the Mets hosted the Braves at Shea Stadium and Mike Piazza homered in the eighth inning for the win.

Tuesday night was a dignified "thank you" to the nation's military. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, a former Marine, called it "very appropriate." Said Alderson: "I'm glad we're doing it. The military can't get enough recognition . . . We can't spend enough time thanking people for what they're doing on our behalf."

"It's an honor," Wright said. "Those guys are the true heroes."