Mets win again without ailing Reyes

LOS ANGELES -- The Mets delivered a comforting message Monday night to their recovering All-Star shortstop, Jose Reyes, who sat for a second consecutive game with a left hamstring strain.

Rest up. We got this one.

Angel Pagan, who replaced Reyes in the leadoff spot, did a pretty good impression with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and an RBI as the Mets rallied for a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.

"We still have a job to do," Pagan said, "and I was very satisfied with this ballgame."

Ruben Tejada, Reyes' sub at shortstop, broke up Rubby De La Rosa's no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the sixth inning and had two hits. Pagan, Carlos Beltran and Daniel Murphy reeled off RBI doubles that inning to erase a 2-0 deficit and give the Mets their second straight win without Reyes.

"That's the way we've played," Terry Collins said. "When you start losing the players that we've lost, guys step up. They know they have to continue to keep playing the game the right way."

Chris Capuano (8-7) allowed two runs in six innings and stranded six before leaving after 87 pitches. Tejada hit Capuano on the right leg with a foul ball as he stood in the on-deck circle in the sixth, but that was not a factor in his removal later on. Plus, it was easier to shake off considering Tejada's two hits and his solid fill-in work at shortstop.

"Ruben's just played spectacular defense," Capuano said, "and also does a great job at the plate too -- aside from taking me out in the on-deck circle."

Jason Bay and Lucas Duda added RBI singles in the eighth and Bobby Parnell retired six straight, striking out two, to set up Francisco Rodriguez for his 21st save.

This was a much better visit to Dodger Stadium for the Mets, who have suffered a number of costly injuries here over the years, from Pagan's season-ending shoulder injury in 2008 to Reyes' torn hamstring tendon in 2009 to Jason Bay's concussion last season.

In a flashback to that incident, Bay crashed into the leftfield wall again Monday night as he grabbed Aaron Miles' long fly ball in the sixth inning. This time he collided with the plexiglass-covered scoreboard rather than the chain-link bullpen fence, and he was in much better condition afterward.

"It was like hockey glass; there was some give to it," Bay said. "It wasn't like the fence pole. I mean, what are the odds. It could have happened anywhere. But the fact that it happened here only adds to the insanity."

While Pagan made the Mets miss Reyes a little less Monday night, most of the pregame discussion focused on when he might return. Reyes remembers all too well the tear of his right hamstring tendon two years ago. Up to that point, he tried to play through a partial rip, which led to a tear of the hamstring muscle and offseason surgery.

That's why Reyes intends to be more cautious with a less severe injury, and he resigned himself to plenty of massage and some batting practice Monday.

"I know what's happened here," Reyes said, laughing a bit uncomfortably. "After that, it wasn't the same. I'm going to take my time. When I'm ready to play, I'm going to play. I don't want to play [last night]. I'll test it [today] and see what happens after that."

Reyes was diagnosed Sunday with a Grade 1 strain (the least severe) of his left hamstring, and he felt surprisingly good Monday despite a long flight to the West Coast Sunday night. The plan is for him to try running today, and if there are no setbacks, it sounds as if Wednesday could be a logical return date.

"It's tough," Reyes said. "If I'm able to play 100 percent, I'm going to play -- it's no doubt. But I have to make sure my leg's ready. I don't want to go through what I've been through in '09, because I'm learning from that."

Collins and general manager Sandy Alderson appear willing to wait a few days before making a call on the disabled list. "He's been a special player all year, but I think it's also the nature of the injury," Alderson said. "It's just difficult right now to fully assess it."

R.A. Dickey also has an injury history at Dodger Stadium. He left Sunday's game at Citi Field because of tightness underneath the glute, the same ailment that bothered him here last July.

That day, Dickey twice argued with manager Jerry Manuel to stay in the game but eventually was removed. It's a little worse this time, but Dickey still intends to make his next start Friday in San Francisco.

"The blessing of this type of injury," Dickey said, "is that it seems to heal quickly."