Hairston is more valuable off the bench

PHOENIX -- Scott Hairston's value coming off the bench is keeping him on it. For the start of the games, anyway.

Hairston doubled off J.J. Putz as a pinch hitter and scored in the ninth inning of Friday night's 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks. But manager Terry Collins opted to use Mike Baxter in rightfield for Saturday night's game although Hairston was hitting .284 (21-for-74) with three homers and 16 RBIs in 23 games as a starter this season.

As a pinch hitter, Hairston is batting .211 (8-for-38) with three homers and six RBIs.

"I'll tell you one thing -- this guy has got nothing but huge hits off the bench," Collins said before the game. "Put him in big situations and he has gotten big hits. I've told him, everybody likes to play, but you like to have that piece of the puzzle you can insert when you need a big hit."

Collins plans to start Hairston in Sunday's matchup with Jason Marquis.

Turner on the mend

Justin Turner also is expected to start Sunday after sitting out the first two games of the Arizona series because of an aching right quadriceps and hip flexor. Turner was asked Saturday afternoon if the break made much of a difference with his myriad injuries.

"I don't think anyone is ever at 100 percent," Turner said. "Not even Opening Day."

Willie Harris made his second straight start as Turner's replacement and his fifth at second base overall. Collins intends to give Turner another day off in San Diego, most likely the Wednesday afternoon finale.

Extra bases

Zack Wheeler, forever known as the return on the Carlos Beltran trade, allowed five hits and one run in five innings Saturday in his third start for Class A St. Lucie. He walked three and struck out three . . . Before Saturday night's game, the Mets were 13-12 in games against current first-place teams. They had winning records against the Tigers (2-1), Rangers (2-1), Brewers (2-1) and Arizona (3-1). The Mets are 4-8 against the Phillies.