Collins does all he can, and it works

Terry Collins -- to use a phrase coined by Terry Collins -- spent yesterday "wringing the rag dry" when it came to managing against the Pirates.

A day after his entertaining postgame tirade in which he shared his frustration over his team's lousy play, Collins managed his behind off in the Mets' 9-8 comeback win over the Pirates at Citi Field.

He used all of his position players. He called back a pinch hitter and turned him into a pinch runner so he could use a pitcher to pinch hit and then pinch hit for the pitcher during the at-bat.

(We'll explain later. It'll make sense then.)

Even after the Mets fell behind 7-0 after 21/2 innings, Collins never gave up. And neither did his team. Although, as he said of the deficit, "Obviously, that was not the game plan."

Collins chewed out his players after Wednesday night's sloppy 9-3 loss to Pittsburgh. He told them he believed in them, that they were better than they were showing and that he was "sick" of their lack of execution.

Mostly, he brought a sense of accountability, something that was missing in the laissez-faire administration of Jerry Manuel.

"The meeting was great," Carlos Beltran said. "I liked it. It was different than what we're used to having in the past. That's him. He has passion, he has energy, he's going to talk the way he feels about the team, about the players, and there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you need a meeting like that to wake everyone up."

The Mets didn't really wake up until Beltran smacked a three-run home run in the third inning. A four-run sixth that started with Beltran's double tied the score, and the Mets took the lead for good in the eighth, when Collins pulled out all the stops.

Former Yankees righthander Jose Veras was on the mound. Ronny Paulino singled to open the inning.

Willie Harris, who had been on deck to pinch hit for Jason Isringhausen, was told to drop his bat and report to first base to run for Paulino.

Collins called on pitcher Chris Capuano as his pinch hitter because "Cap's the best bunter on the team," he said.

Capuano fouled off two bunt attempts and the strategy looked to be a disaster. But fortune swung the Mets' way -- and how often has that happened lately? -- when Veras was called for a balk on the second foul.

With Harris now on second and the count 1-and-1, Collins sent up Josh Thole to replace Capuano.

"When he got to second base, I just said, 'Let's take the chance and drive him in,' " Collins said. " 'Let's take three shots at getting him in.' "

After Veras threw a wild pitch, Thole walked. Ruben Tejada followed with a sacrifice fly and the Mets had their first lead of the day. They added another run on a bases-loaded walk to Beltran for a cushion they would need in the ninth.

Collins' other moves were less drastic but still important. He let Pelfrey hit down 7-0 in the third and was rewarded with two scoreless innings.

He used Daniel Murphy as a pinch hitter in the sixth, and Murphy singled home the run that made it 7-6.

The players usually determine whether a manager's moves are successful. Collins' most important move Thursday actually might have been made Wednesday when he popped his cork, as his past suggested he eventually was going to do.

"I am who I am," he said. "I think I've matured through the years of being able to control things a little better. But make no mistake about it -- if we played Ping-Pong, I'm going to try to kick your butt. That competitiveness is still here. My desire to win, what I expect of my teams, is still there. That fire is still burning inside or I wouldn't be here."