Plan C in the Mets’ attempt to fill their final rotation spot didn’t look so bad last night.
Regardless of where his career goes from here, Jeremy Hefner always will have a humid night at Citi Field against the Phillies to remember. In one giant swoop, the rookie got his first major-league victory, hit and home run.
In the end, “Hef” and his playmates rolled to a 6-3 victory that pushed the Mets six games above .500 and guaranteed them a second straight winning month.
“I gave up three runs and we won, so it’s a good outing,” Hefner said. “If I gave up three runs and we lose it’s probably a bad outing, so I’m happy we won and glad I could help the team out and put an extra run on the board.”
Hefner (1-2) ultimately may get the boot when veteran Chris Young is deemed ready in his comeback from shoulder surgery, but Hefner is almost guaranteed at least one more start before the Mets (28-22) have to make that decision. Young is scheduled to pitch tomorrow for Triple-A Buffalo and likely will need a subsequent start in the minors, according to general manager Sandy Alderson.
Chris Schwinden already whiffed in his audition to fill the rotation spot created when Mike Pelfrey underwent season-ending elbow surgery. Miguel Batista was solid as a replacement, but remains on the disabled list with a lower-back strain.
Last night, Hefner did his job by simply getting the ball to the bullpen with a lead. The 26-year-old righty allowed three earned runs on six hits over six innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Bobby Parnell, Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco sealed it with a scoreless inning apiece. The game resumed after a 64-mnute rain delay in the eighth.
Hefner’s solo home run in the fourth against Joe Blanton (4-5) extended the Mets’ lead to 4-2. Hefner ended up with the ball — the fan who caught it received a Johan Santana autographed bat in exchange.
It was Hefner’s first major league hit and ended nearly a two-year homer drought by Mets pitchers, going back to Santana’s blast against the Reds on July 6, 2010.
“I almost missed first base watching the ball,” Hefner said. “I was just trying to get a hit, trying to extend the inning, but I happened to get lucky and caught it good.”
It came on a night the Mets used their fifth starting shortstop of the season, Omar Quintanilla, who arrived from Triple-A before the game as Justin Turner was placed on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle. Quintanilla went 3-for-4 with two doubles as part of the Mets’ 10-hit attack.
“Baseball, it’s tough, and you have games like this, you’ve just got to enjoy them,” Quintanilla said.
The Mets seized control in the sixth when pinch hitter Scott Hairston’s two-run homer against Blanton made it 6-3.
Hefner seemed on the verge of folding in the top of the sixth after Juan Pierre scored from first on Hunter Pence’s double — Mike Baxter booted the ball in left field allowing the run to score — to pull the Phillies within 4-3. But with the tying run on third base and nobody out, Hefner retired the next three batters without Pence scoring.
“There is a point where I think you’ve got to grow and you’ve got to let them sometimes get themselves out of trouble,” manager Terry Collins said. “I thought tonight was one of those times.”
mpuma@nypost.com