NEW YORK -- Mets manager Terry Collins thought about Jim Leyland when New York was trailing by 10 runs Saturday night.Collins recalled the veteran manager telling him that, in a blowout, he should remove his starters in favor of bench players. After all, the backups are the ones with something to play for.Collins heeded the advice, and it almost paid historic dividends.After taking out Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes in the top of the fifth inning, the Mets finished just short of what would have been the largest comeback victory in team history, losing 10-8 to the Philadelphia Phillies.The failed rally left New York tied with San Francisco for the two NL wild cards. St. Louis is a half-game back.Gavin Cecchini got his first two major league hits and drove in two as a replacement for the Mets, who brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth and the winning run in the ninth, but could not overcome the early onslaught. T.J. Rivera also had two RBI.I absolutely tip my hat to the job those young kids did tonight, Collins said. They had energy.I think I almost tripped going around first base, Cecchini said of his first major league. Its something you always dream of as a kid.Philadelphias Maikel Franco and Darin Ruf each hit a long home run for the second consecutive night as Philadelphia built a 10-0 lead by the fourth.Pressed into a spot start because Noah Syndergaard was battling strep throat, Sean Gilmartin (0-1) made more work for New Yorks exhausted bullpen. Philadelphia sent 11 to the plate in the first, and the Mets had to use six relievers after calling on 16 pitchers during the first two games of the series.After the game, Collins said Syndergaard would start Tuesday in Miami.Gilmartin fell behind 3-0 after 12 pitches on Francos 25th homer, a 422-foot blast, and left having allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning.Jay Bruce hit his first career pinch-hit home run with one out in the ninth to pull the Mets to within two. Eric Campbell and Michael Conforto then drew walks before Michael Mariot got his second save by retiring Lucas Duda on a popup and Travis dArnaud on a comebacker.The Mets got their biggest comeback victory when they overcame an eight-run deficit to win 11-8 at Houston on Sept. 2, 1972.That Mets team is relentless, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. They just keep coming at you.The Mets coaching staff thought New York was going to win with a game-ending home run for the second time in three nights.Dickie Scott said Lucas Dudas going to hit a home run to win the game when we started the ninth inning, Collins said. Didnt, but he was certainly in the situation to do that.The Mets started the comeback with four unearned runs in the fifth off Phillies starter Alec Asher (1-1) and added two more in the sixth. In the eighth, Hector Neris allowed Cecchinis RBI double, but then got Rivera to fly out to center and Brandon Nimmo to pop up to end the threat.TRAINERS ROOMMets: INF Wilmer Flores (wrist) is still unable to hit. Collins said Flores wasnt close to hitting.Phillies: With the left-handed Gilmartin on the mound, Ryan Howard was held out of the lineup.PINCH-HITTING AND PRODUCINGBruces blast was New Yorks 13th pinch-hit home run this year, the most in team history, breaking a tie with the 1983 Mets.UP NEXTMets: RHP Robert Gsellman (2-2, 3.13 ERA) makes his sixth major league start in the final home game for the Mets. The lanky rookie struggled against the Phillies in his first start, allowing four earned runs in six innings, but has only allowed seven earned runs over his next 22 innings (2.86 ERA).Phillies: RHP Jake Thompson (3-5, 5.62 ERA) pitches Philadelphias final road game of the season. Although it was expected that he would be shut down along with Vince Velasquez, Thompson is instead looking for his third straight win.Cheap Jordan 12 Ovo .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Blue Air Jordan 12 Retro . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. http://www.cheapjordans12retro.com/all-black-air-jordan-12-retro/ . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. Rose Air Jordan 12 Retro . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. All Gold Air Jordan 12 Retro . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Receiver Jordy Nelson is gradually rounding back into pre-injury form for the Green Bay Packers.With four touchdown catches in a seasons first three games for the first time in his career, Nelson doesnt appear to have missed a step.But it has been a work in progress overall for the Packers, especially after coach Mike McCarthy took a cautious approach with Nelson and kept him out of preseason action.Frankly, I think we made it difficult on Jordy. I think expectations on him were unrealistic, for him to come out of the preseason and think hes going to go down to (the season opener in) Jacksonville and perform, McCarthy said this week. I think hes exceeded the reality that I had for him.But McCarthys restraint was understandable.Nelson arrived in camp having made a full recovery from a right ACL tear, an injury that knocked him out for the 2015 season.But he also started the preseason with what he described as a minor issue in his left knee . It was concerning enough to the coaching staff that Nelson only started practicing with about a couple of weeks left in training camp.Nelson doesnt think that McCarthy made his return difficult at all.I think my body made it difficult with what happened and some extra stuff we had to do. I think we did what we needed to do to be ready for Week 1, Nelson said on Wednesday after practice.Following a bye last week, Green Bay is preparing to host the New York Giants on Sunday night.That 27-23 win over the Jaguars was played in sweltering, 90-degree heat, not exactly ideal conditions for Nelson to play in his first regular-season game in more than a year. He finished with six catches for 32 yards and a score .I mean, who knows what Week 1 would have been like if it wasnt in Jacksonville, Nelson said. It mightve been different. But weve progressed and Im very satisfied with how its turned out and were continuing to grow.The connection between quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Nelson returned in the Week 3 win over Detroit , when Nelson had six catches for 101 yards and two scores. That rapport has been honed over years of work together between two of the teams elder statesmen.If the Packkers can maintain that vintage form, the turning point for the offense might have come with 2:49 left in the first quarter of the Lions game.dddddddddddd On first down, Rodgers found Nelson up the right seam for a 49-yard gain on first down.Its the kind of big play that the Packers were pulling off with regularity in Nelsons last healthy season in 2014.I think he looked pretty good last game , Rodgers said. Very cerebral, smart, great second, third reactions. Hes a big time player for us and were excited hes back and being productive.The slow start this season -- at least by Packers standards -- made hardcore fans nervous. The conventional wisdom around the league was the Packers offense would return to form as soon as Nelson started catching passes again from Rodgers.Nelson would give the offense the deep threat it desperately needed. That would relieve the extra attention placed on Randall Cobb, who excels with making tough catches in traffic.Younger receivers such as Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery would take their next steps in development to add variety and depth.While Nelson never placed the expectations of being an offensive savior on himself, he was aware of them. The nine-year veteran never judged his progress by catches or receiving yards.So me personally, the way I feel throughout a game, the way I feel on Monday when we come in after a game, how the body recovers by when we practice on Wednesday, I think thats what a lot of it is, Nelson said, and its gotten better and to be honest with you, I wish we didnt have a bye week.Game notesMcCarthy ruled out Sam Shields (concussion) for Sunday, the third straight missed game for the cornerback. ... S Morgan Burnett (groin) and LB Clay Matthews (ankle/hamstring), along with DT Letroy Guion, DE/LB Datone Jones, who each have knee injuries, took part in practice again on Thursday after all four key players missed the Lions game.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Genaro Armas at: https://twitter.com/GArmasAP ' ' '