Slumping Mets demote three players, call up three from 51s

NEW YORK — Terry Collins and Sandy Alderson have seen enough. A day after watching the New York Mets lose to Miami in 20 innings, they saw them lose in 10 to the majors’ worst team.

So after Sunday’s 8-4 defeat, the Mets demoted first baseman Ike Davis to Triple-A Las Vegas.

And outfielder Mike Baxter.

And reliever Rob Carson.

“I do believe there’s an honor to play here, there’s a privilege to play here. It’s not just, put the uniform on and be here,” manager Collins said. “You’ve earned the right to be here, but you have to earn the right to stay here.”

The team will call up infielder Josh Satin, outfielder Collin Cowgill and left-handed reliever Josh Edgin from the 51s before Tuesday’s series opener against St. Louis.

David Wright’s two-run double in the third helped build a 4-1 lead, but the Mets frittered it away.

Collins called a team meeting after the game, called it “pretty close” to the low point of his 2½-season tenure as manager and said he spoke to his players “about what it takes to play here.”

“This is when you reach down inside and you find out who belongs here and who doesn’t, for me. There’s some learning things that had to take place today,” he said.

The first inning ended when Jordany Valdespin was caught stealing third base. Collins could be seen talking to him in the dugout in the middle of the second inning.

“Got to learn from that,” Collins said.

Since sweeping four games from the Yankees, the Mets have lost six of seven.

Four of New York’s six hits didn’t leave the infield. The Mets had just one hit after Wright’s double, an infield single by Daniel Murphy in the sixth.

Davis was 0-for-3, leaving him with a .161 average, five homers, 16 RBIs and 66 strikeouts. A starter since 2010, Davis was removed for a pinch hitter for the second straight day. He didn’t speak with reporters after the game.

“I think that first and foremost, Ike needs to get his confidence back,” said Alderson, in his fourth season as general manager.

Baxter was 0-for-4 in his first start since May 29 and is hitting .212 with no homers and four RBIs. After Murphy’s leadoff walk in the ninth, Baxter couldn’t get a bunt down and struck out.

With a runner on second in the 10th and the Marlins ahead by two, Carson gave up a two-run homer to Miguel Olivo.

The Mets batted .255 during a 10-9 start; since then, they are 13-26 and have hit .212. They’ve lost 15 of their last 20 home games.