ARLINGTON, Texas — If chicks dig the long ball — as the long ago Nike promotional campaign proclaimed — the Mets must be spending their nights alone watching TV and playing video games.
The Mets’ weapon of choice is the single. They produced 24 of them over the last two games and scored 22 runs, without the benefit of a home run. Who needs a dagger when you can slay your opponent with kid scissors?
“We put pressure on the defense,” Jose Reyes said after the Mets’ 8-5 victory over the Rangers yesterday. “We know we’re not going to hit too many home runs, but we put pressure on the other team with our speed.”
In moving to .500 for the first time since June 15, the Mets (39-39) went a fifth straight game without a home run. A day after bludgeoning the Rangers 14-5 — and needing only four extra-base hits — the Mets used another methodical attack (11 of their 14 hits were singles) in derailing left-hander Derek Holland.
It gave the Mets a series win, with two of three victories, against a second straight AL opponent.
Manager Terry Collins credited hitting coach Dave Hudgens for the team’s approach the plate.
“These guys have bought in to what [Hudgens] believes in,” Collins said. “We’ve done a great job of working the counts. We’ve done a great job of making pitchers work. Therefore we’ve gotten some balls to hit. Sooner or later they end up getting something on the plate they can handle.”
Hudgens said the Mets understand they don’t need to hit home runs for success.
“We’ve got a lot of professional hitters on the team,” Hudgens said. “We don’t have guys that are going to hit 40 homers, so we know we have to work the pitcher and turn the lineup over, and if we do that we’re usually pretty competitive in the game offensively.”
Reyes led the outburst with a 4-for-5 performance that included a triple, a stolen base and an RBI. Daniel Murphy was 3-for-4 with an RBI.
The Mets also received the benefit of the doubt on three questionable calls, angering Rangers manager Ron Washington, who eventually was ejected in the sixth inning.
Texas put a brief scare into the Mets late, scoring twice in the ninth against Francisco Rodriguez.
Dillon Gee was a success in his return home. The rookie righty, who grew up about 45 minutes from here, rebounded from a dreadful performance against Oakland last week in which he walked six batters. This time, Gee (8-1) gave the Mets six respectable innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks.
The Mets did most of their damage in the second inning, when they scored four runs to take a 5-2 lead. The big hit was Carlos Beltran’s two-run single, after Reyes had singled in a run. Ronny Paulino scored from third base on Angel Pagan’s fielder’s choice for the Mets’ first run in the inning.
Murphy and Ruben Tejada each had an RBI single in the sixth.
Gee had a rocky first inning. Young homered for the third straight day, giving Texas its first run before Mitch Moreland’s RBI single added another. But Reyes’ diving stop on Taylor Teagarden’s grounder and subsequent throw out at second base, kept the Mets’ deficit at 2-1.
“To come in here and win two from that club with that offense was big,” Collins said. “We just had to work very hard, and they did it.”