SAFE! Jason Bay, who went 2-for-4, beats the tag of Alex Gonzalez and steals second base during the Mets’ 4-0 victory over the Braves last night at Turner Field. (ap)
ATLANTA — Jason Bay returned to the Mets’ lineup last night — and finally showed signs of life.
Bay, who hit sixth after sitting against the Braves’ Jair Jurrjens on Tuesday — had his first multi-hit game since May 29 in the Mets’ 4-0 victory over the Braves at Turner Field.
“This was probably some of the best I’ve felt all year,” said Bay, who went 2-for-4 and raised his average to .214. “I was playing more the aggressor and not so much defense, like I have been.”
Manager Terry Collins — who said before the game that it might not be the last time the left fielder’s could be benched, depending on whom the Mets are facing — said he still has confidence in Bay.
“When he starts feeling his stroke, obviously he’s the left fielder here, hands down,” Collins said of Bay, who has just two homers and 11 RBIs. “There should be no discussion about that.”
One game doesn’t mean Bay has found his stroke, and the discussion on his role will continue. But last night, he had a second inning single and stole second for his fifth stolen base of the season. He was stranded there and later flied to center in the fourth. He added a sharp single to left in the seventh.
Collins made it clear Bay was not entering a platoon situation.
“Just in certain cases,” Collins said, referring to when he would look at Bay’s numbers versus some starters. “I’m trying to get this guy going. I believe you’ve got to fight through it, but you’ve got to have some confidence on the field.”
Nevertheless, Collins wouldn’t guarantee that Bay would play every day, especially because he entered last night with two hits in his previous 30 at-bats.
“He’s going to play the majority of the time,” Collins said. “There might be some nights when because he says to me, ‘I might need a night here.’ He just hit early [yesterday]. He’s putting the work in and there might be times when he’s fatigued.”
Collins also said if there’s a “big discrepancy” in his numbers against a pitcher and he wants to get someone else into a game with better production — as he did on Tuesday with Willie Harris and Jurrjens — he won’t hesitate to do sit Bay.
Bay likely will play tonight and could wind up in center field against Braves lefty Mike Minor, because Collins is considering giving Angel Pagan, who struggles against southpaws, the night off.
Collins could move Bay to center and put Scott Hairston, who Collins also is trying to get into a game, into left.