NEW YORK -- This was exactly the kind of situation the New York Mets got Jay Bruce for -- late innings, hoping for a home run. Except now, manager Terry Collins felt as if he had no choice but to pull the All-Star slugger for a pinch hitter.Yanked for a guy who hadnt gotten a hit in the majors since May and was batting .159, at that.Collins strategy worked -- Eric Campbell delivered an RBI single in a three-run eighth -- but the Mets rally fell short Tuesday night in a 5-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves.Very difficult. First time Ive ever been pinch hit for, the badly slumping Bruce said. I always think Im the best choice ... but hes the manager and I respect his decision.He didnt need to explain that to me, he said. I obviously get how the game is played and you know what his thought process was there. I dont deserve any explanation from the manager.The Mets lost to last-place Atlanta for the second straight day. The defeat dropped them into a tie with St. Louis and San Francisco for the two NL wild cards.Bruce still ranks among the NL leaders with 29 home runs and 91 RBI, but has struggled mightily since the Mets got him on Aug. 1 from the Reds for two young players.The market, as you know, this is not Cincinnati, Collins said.Out of the starting lineup for two days as a mental break, Bruce returned and went 0 for 3, leaving him hitless in 12 at-bats and in a 3-for-38 rut.Bruce is hitting only .176 with his new team. The deal certainly hasnt turned out like the big trade last summer that brought Yoenis Cespedes, boosting the Mets into the World Series.I definitely didnt draw it up like this. Coming over here, its been tough on me. But fortunately the team has been playing really well, weve been winning games, were in a good spot when it comes to the playoff race, Bruce said.Im worried about the team, Im worried about winning games. I have plenty of time to think about myself. Right now is not that time, he said.Mets nemesis Julio Teheran pitched seven more sparkling innings and left with a 5-1 lead.After Curtis Granderson hit an RBI double and T.J. Rivera had a sacrifice fly, it was 5-3 with two outs and a runner on second in the eighth. Thats when Collins pulled Bruce and sent up Campbell to face lefty Ian Krol.Its one of the worst things you can do as a manager, to pinch hit for a star, especially one of the elite power hitters in the game. But you know, my job is to try to win the game, Collins said. In my opinion, I know hes struggling, I know hes had struggles with lefties.I think hes extremely frustrated, he added. I know I talked to him about it. ... Hes always had the ability and now he has the chances to, hey, just go out and play. And as I told him, this is a different situation here.The Braves have the worst record in the NL, yet have a four-game winning streak. They beat the Mets for the second day in a row and have won five straight at Citi Field.Teheran (6-10) gave up five hits and left with a four-run lead. Dating to the final time he saw the Mets last season, hes 3-0 with a 0.73 ERA in five starts against them.Jim Johnson pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 19 chances. He struck out Cespedes with a runner on first to end it.Robert Gsellman (2-2) lost in his fifth major league start. The rookie took a 1-0 lead into the sixth before a misplayed flyball cost him.Atlanta loaded the bases with one out and Matt Kemp lofted a catchable fly to right-center. Granderson and Bruce both backed off at the last moment and the ball fell for a single, giving Kemp his 100th RBI.Jay, obviously, being the right fielder, is waiting for me to say something on that situation. I didnt and by the time I pulled up it was too late, Granderson said.NICE GAMEMets SS Asdrubal Cabrera reached base five times -- two singles, a double and two walks -- for the fourth time in his career. He last did it in 2011 with Cleveland.TRAINERS ROOMMets: LHP Steven Matz (shoulder tightness), sidelined since Aug. 14, possibly could start Friday night at home vs. the Phillies. ... INF Wilmer Flores (wrist) got another injection Monday. Collins hopes for a speedy return.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Ryan Weber (1-1, 5.46 ERA) is set to make his second start in the majors this year.Mets: RHP Bartolo Colon (14-7, 3.14) leads the team in wins. The 43-year-old is 5-1 with a 2.21 ERA in his last nine starts. LeBron James Jersey . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Moritz Wagner Jersey . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. http://www.cheaplakersjerseyschina.com/sviatoslav-mykhailiuk-jersey/ .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Rajon Rondo Jersey . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Lakers Jerseys From China . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Kalani Sitake faced a difficult decision in his debut as BYUs coach. He could send out Rhett Almond to attempt a game-winning kick despite the sophomore missing a field and an extra point earlier in the game or turn to freshman Jake Oldroyd.Sitake went with the freshman, with an assist to special teams coach Ed Lamb, and it worked out perfectly for the Cougars.Oldroyd kicked a 33-yard field goal with 4 seconds left and Jamaal Williams ran for 162 yards, helping BYU rally to beat Arizona 18-16 on Saturday night.After the field goal and PAT we had earlier; I wouldnt say it was a good time to do it, but I felt comfortable with Jake being in that position, Sitake said.BYU sputtered at times, but pulled out a victory to start a brutal opening stretch of the season.Williams looked like he never left after sitting out last season due to personal reasons, carrying 29 times to spark BYUs offense.Taysom Hill was sharp after missing most of last season with a foot injury, hitting 21 of 29 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown.It still was tight.Arizonas Nick Wilson scored on a 49-yard run with 1:26 left and the Wildcats failed on the 2-point conversion, giving the Cougars a final chance at University of Phoenix Stadium.BYU started its final drive on its own 31 and quickly moved down the field to set up Oldroyds kick. The freshman split the uprights, raised his arms and ran toward BYUs sideline after hitting a winning kick in his first career game .We were calm the whole time, Hill said of the final drive. We knew we had a great opportunity.Arizona went through a difficult fall camp, trying to focus on football after offensive lineman Zach Hemmila was found dead in his apartment on Aug. 8. Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez joined Hemmilas family with athletic director Greg Byrne and offensive line coach Jim Michalczik for a pre-game ceremony that include a highlight video.The Wildcats had plenty of questions heading into the season, the big one being who will start at quarterback.Anu Solomon got the start after a tight battle with sophomore Brandon Dawkins that started in spring, but struggled against BYUs defensive pressure up fronnt for most of the game.ddddddddddddThis one is on me, said Solomon, who threw for 213 yards on 20-of-30 passing. I have to play better.He wasnt alone.Wilson also scored on a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter and finished with 138 yards rushing, one of the few bright spots on Arizonas offense. The Wildcats finished with 328 total yards, 190 of that coming in the fourth quarter.You ask the same question four or five times, it eventually becomes like a lawyer, Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said. Ask the same question four times, youre going to get the same I answer, I think. Maybe not.THE TAKEAWAYBYU: Williams was explosive at times and Hill was efficient in his return, coming through when the Cougars needed him to. Despite some breakdowns in the fourth quarter, BYUs defense was solid, holding Arizonas quick-hitting offense in check most of the night.Arizona: The offensive line, one of the teams most experienced groups, could not solve BYUs pressure until late. The defense, solid for most of the night, allowed the Cougars to quick-hit their way down the field to set up the winning kick. Arizona entered the season with plenty of questions and didnt get many answers.JONES INJUREDArizona suffered a big blow in the second quarter when spur linebacker Tellas Jones went down with an injury and did not return.The sophomore was one of the few known entities on Arizonas defense and was arguably its best player in the first half, ranging all over the field.We still had 11 guys out there, Rodriguez said. Tellas is a good player, but we still had 11 guys out there.QUOTABLEI was joking around afterward (Oldroyds kick) that there was so much conversation about my age and Im 26, I told the team Im too old for this, Im stressed, said Hill, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility after his injury last season.UP NEXTBYU: The Cougars continue a brutal start to the season at Utah next Saturday, followed by games against UCLA and West Virginia.Arizona: The Wildcats play their home opener against Grambling State next Saturday. ' ' '