Mets continue hot hitting against Tigers

DETROIT -- The white flag came in the ninth inning, when the Tigers sent their next pitcher in from the dugout instead of the bullpen. It was Don Kelly, an outfielder, and the sparse crowd remaining at Comerica Park erupted in a surprisingly loud cheer Wednesday night.

Scott Hairston turned to hitting coach Dave Hudgens and asked for the scouting report. "What's he got?" Hairston said.

"He has a good swing," Hudgens told him.

Hairston flew out, maybe from exhaustion, but the Mets already had pounded the Tigers into submission long before then in a 16-9 victory.

A day after the streak-busting two grand slams, Hairston did the next best thing with a three-run triple in the first inning and Ronny Paulino went 4-for-6 with an RBI and four runs. Paulino became the first catcher to hit cleanup for the Mets since Mike Piazza in 2005, proving that Terry Collins' group is as versatile as it is relentless in reaching double digits in runs for the third time in four games.

"I told the guys after the game was over how proud I was of how they've battled the entire trip," said Collins, whose team surged to two games over .500 (41-39) for only the second time this season and first since April 5. "Tonight was another example of their durability and character. They're a joy to be around."

By scoring eight or more runs in four straight games, the Mets tied a franchise record, and it was previously done in 2006. The Mets' 28 runs and 27 hits are the most in a two-day span since Aug. 23-24, 2005 at Arizona.

They went 10-for-20 with runners in scoring position but failed to hit a home run, with only five extra-base hits. By comparison, the Tigers hit five home runs -- the most the Mets have allowed since 2004. Miguel Cabrera drilled two, including a three-run shot in the sixth and another that inning by Jhonny Peralta got the Tigers to within 8-6. But the Mets scored six more runs, including a two-run double by Angel Pagan in the ninth.

"Today was a testament to what [the Tigers] did," said Daniel Murphy, who had a pair of bases-loaded two-run singles. "They didn't let us breathe. We had to keep coming back."

And Thursday it will be Justin Verlander's turn to try and stop the Mets, who set a franchise record with 52 runs (and 69 hits) in their past four games.

"I know I'll go to bed thinking we'll have to grind it out against him," Murphy said.

Jose Reyes had two hits in his first two at-bats to reach base in eight straight plate appearances, but finished 2-for-6. Pagan went 4-for-6 with four RBIs. "We've been unbelievable," Pagan said. "We feel pretty confident right now."

The only glitch was Collins calling in Tim Byrdak in the seventh inning to face pinch hitter Andy Dirks -- without warming him up first. Bobby Parnell trotted in first because he had been the only one throwing, but he reversed field and in came the cold Byrdak, who gave up a two-run homer to Dirks on two pitches.

"That was my fault, not his," Collins said.

The Mets scored two runs in the seventh with some help from Tigers second baseman Ryan Raburn. With two outs, they loaded the bases for Murphy, who chopped a ground ball to the right side. Raburn hustled to his left, but the ball got under his glove for a two-run single that made it 10-6.

Just as the Mets were busy destroying the Tigers for a second straight day, Chris Capuano (7-7) suffered a mini-meltdown with an 8-2 lead in the sixth. While he said he was over the abdominal cramps that cut short last Thursday's start, his neck must have been a little stiff from watching four homers.