The Mets surpassed the Marlins for third place in the competitive National League East on Tuesday night as manager Terry Collins continues to push the right buttons. New York is without David Wright and Ike Davis and they haven't gotten much of anything from Jason Bay, but Collins has ridden Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and a ragtag group to a 28-21 record since bottoming out at eight games under .500 on April 20. "As I've said before, they're aware who's not here," Collins said. "So they're also very aware when they're going to get their chance, they've got to play well. And when they do, we beat good teams." One scout assigned to the Mets said Collins may deserve the NL Manager of the Year award for keeping the Mets afloat given the injuries and overall talent level relative to the rest of the division.