Jonathan Papelbon (Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post)
Manager Terry Collins had called last night’s rubber game against the Phillies a must-win, for the standings, for psyche and a host of reasons. The sight of the Mets bursting from the dugout as David Wright’s walk-off single in the ninth inning gave them a 6-5 comeback victory, the sound of Citi Field reverberating with chants of “MVP! MVP!” as they mobbed him showed what Collins was talking about.
In a rare off night, Mets All-Star R.A. Dickey left on the wrong side of a 5-4 score, and it stayed that way into the ninth. But after the 37-year-old knuckleballer had carried the Mets so often through the first half of the year, his teammates reciprocated.
“It seems like all year we’ve had that never-say-die attitude and [last] night was no different,’’ said Wright, who fought off Jonathan Papelbon’s 95-mph fastball for a two-out, bloop single in front of a diving Hunter Pence.
“Our M.O. is we grind out games. We don’t hit for much power, we don’t steal a lot of bases, but were grinders. We play the game to the last out. … Guys aren’t just rolling over and going through the motions. It seems like guys have this attitude we’re going to win the game no matter what the score is or the situation is.’’
The Met had plenty of chances to capitulate, especially with Dickey off his game. Making his case to start Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Kansas City, Dickey came in on a 13-game unbeaten streak. Though he allowed a career-high tying 11 hits and five runs in seven innings, the Mets got him off the hook with their comeback.
“That’s been our mantra from the beginning. We’re going to fight,’’ said Dickey, whose duel with fellow All-Star Cole Hamels never materialized. “We’re not going to give up. We’re not going to lay down.’’
They didn’t last night, even after falling behind 2-0. They tied it on Scott Hairston’s solo homer in the second and Wright’s RBI single in the third that scored Dickey. Wright gave Dickey a 4-3 lead with a two-run homer in the fourth off Hamels, but Dickey gave it back in the next inning when Jimmy Rollins doubled to right and scored the go-ahead run on Juan Pierre’s sacrifice.
But it stayed at 5-4 because of the Mets’ bullpen and an eighth-inning defensive gem — Hairston making a great throw from left field and Josh Thole blocking the plate and holding on to the ball in a collision with Mike Fontenot. That set up the fireworks in the ninth, Ike Davis’ leadoff double to left-center giving them hope.
Pinch-runner Ronny Cedeno advanced on Thole’s sacrifice. After Kirk Nieuwenhuis struck out, Papelbon hit pinch-hitter Jordany Valdespin and Ruben Tejada worked a full-count walk to load the bases. Daniel Murphy fell behind 0-2 but lined a shot off Papelbon and beat out the sprawling reliever’s desperate throw from the first-base line.
“I jut tried to run fast,’’ Murphy said.
That tied the score, and the crowd was still delirious when Wright jumped on the first pitch and dropped it into right field, setting off a celebration in which Wright got a pie in the face.
Reliever Bobby Parnell (2-1) got the win with a scoreless ninth, Papelbon (2-3) the loss and the Mets a much-needed rally.
“We had a lot of great at-bats in the ninth inning: That’s the sign of a great team,’’ Hairston said. “ We’re very confident. Deep down inside we knew somebody was going to come through. Once everything started, it just didn’t feel like we were going to lose.’’
Said Collins: “We’ve got to play well in our division. It was a game I thought we had to have to keep us rolling into the break.
“To have us win this game is huge.’’
brian.lewis@nypost.com