This past week, the Mets (along with Citibank) participated in “Teammates in the Community Week,” a weeklong series of programs in the Big Apple that paid tribute to active military personnel and veterans.  

In a whirlwind of activities, Mets players and organizational personnel visited the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum this past Monday, hosted a wheelchair softball game at Citi Field on Tuesday, and went to the Empire State Building for a special lighting ceremony to honor the military on Wednesday.   

After Thursday’s come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mets players joined in a post-game softball tournament with members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines on the playing field at Citi Field. Over 50 members of the armed forces participated in the games while they were cheered on by Mets players Jonathan Niese, Chris Capuano, Pedro Beato and coaches Mookie Wilson and Ken Oberkfell.

“It’s great to come out here and enjoy the comraderie with these guys,” said Niese. “My grandpa was in World War II. He didn’t talk about it much but he served in Germany during the war. Sometimes we take our every day lives for granted but it’s these guys who keep us safe.”

Capuano, who has a cousin in the Army and a niece in the Marines was excited to be hanging out with these veterans.

“I feel so blessed to be playing baseball and I just wanted to come out and thank them for their service,” Capuano said. “They put it all on the line for us and I have a lot of respect for that. Where I live in Phoenix, there’s a big Air Force presence so I’m playing for them, today.”

Mets all-timer, Wilson, also has a deep connection to U.S. military forces.

“My daughter was in the Navy and my brother was, too,” Wilson told me as we watched the Army softball team playing against the Navy team. “My brother just retired and my daughter put in eight years. My brother was deployed four times.  There’s nothing like a little ballgame like this one here at Citi Field to boost their morale, and ours, too.”

Yesterday, at the Veterans Administration Hospital on E. 23^rd street in Manhattan, a Mets contingent led by first-year general manager, Sandy Alderson walked through a variety of hospital sections, meeting and greeting veterans who had fought overseas for their country as far back as World War II.

During an early afternoon visit from Alderson, coaches Chip Hale and Jon Debus, and first baseman, Daniel Murphy, the wards of this hospital were transformed into a feel-good, hopeful, and positive environment instead of what these places often feel like to its patients, the epitome of bleak hopelessness.

One of the patients the Mets entourage interracted with, Solomon Waner, just turned 91 years old. Born in the Bronx, Waner became a musician who entertained the troops during WW II. He played the drums onstage with Bob Hope, the legendary comedian who trekked to military bases worldwide. His smile and his joke-telling told visitors all they needed to know about the positive outlook he had on life.  But, it was the visit from the Mets that made his day.

“I’ve followed the Mets since the team started in 1962,” he said. “I’ve always been a big fan. I hope they get a little better this year.”  

Alderson related to these veterans on a deep level, as he was a first lieutenant who served in the Marines during the height of the Vietnam War.

“I was deployed from 1969 to 1972 and my dad was in the military, too,” Alderson told me as the high-spirited Waner was sharing stories. “My dad was in the Air Force for 30 years, in World War II and Korea.”

Alderson listened to all the stories these veterans in this hospital shared today. The smile on Alderson’s face told you he understood and related very well.

“Just talking to guys and hearing those experiences resonate with me because they are similar to mine in some way,” said Alderson. ”You can empathize with them and just be a good listener because you are sort of informed, which is a great thing. That’s what I enjoy about this.”

Dr. Mort Rubinstein, a hospital administrator talked about the impact of these kinds of visits.

“It’s a wonderful thing,” Rubinstein said. “The Mets should be lauded for their participation. We would love to see more athletes coming here more often. It really does help the veterans feel better.”

Hale, the Mets third base coach said, “They have done so much for us. They keep us safe. This is the least we can do for them. I enjoy hearing their stories. All my years playing in the minor leagues, we used to do things like this. It definitely makes you feel good.”

We met a Vietnam veteran, a quiet man named Ernesto Rivera, who was a sergeant. Rivera was in the dialysis unit, where he must come for treatments three times per week.

“It feels great that the Mets are here, today,” he said. “It’s nice of them to come and visit us over here. This is usually a depressing period for us so they really help. My kidneys can’t function by themselves so well, anymore. You’re really exhausted when you’re done with these treatments but then you feel pretty good the next day. These Mets bring some happiness.”

The Mets players and coaches seemed to gain as much from their visit as the veterans.

“We come in here as players to give back to veterans who’ve done so much for us but as we leave, it feels like they’ve given more to us, said Murphy. “When you see what they go through and what they went through to allow us the freedoms we sometimes take for granted, it’s a very worthwhile experience, very enjoyable.

“It puts things in perspective for me about what really matters. It makes baseball pale in comparison to what they’ve risked on a daily basis. Fred Wilpon really has a passion for veterans. It’s a passion he wants to instill in Mets players and employees of the organization. If you’re going to be part of the Mets family, one of the things we’re going to do is to help out our veterans. I love Fred’s passion for this, whether it’s at Walter Reed Hospital or here. 

Wilpon hasn’t heard a whole lot of positives thrown his way lately. This is one area where his words and his actions can only be appreciated.   

Before tonight’s game against the Floridia Marlins even started, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson announced that David Wright, the face of the franchise and primary run-producer for this team, had been discovered to be playing the last several weeks with a fractured bone in his back and will be out for a minimum of three weeks.  

If that wasn’t bad enough for a team that needs all hands on deck to have a chance of success, they went up against arguably the best pitcher in the National League in Josh Johnson and through six innings were beating him.

Unfortunately, as dreary as the news of Wright’s injury and the rainy, foggy weather was for this game, the Mets made it even drearier by giving up a 1-0 lead they had eeked out against Johnson, eventually losing the contest in extra innings, 2-1.

Yes, it was a tough day all-around for the Metsies.

After gaining some momentum and confidence on the road, in which they took two out of three games against both the Colorado Rockies and Houston Astros, tonight’s game in front of their home fans against the Marlins could have been a big opportunity for the Mets to continue their little season-changing momentum swing. Coming into the game just two games under .500 after a dreadful start to this season, they sent Mike Pelfrey to the mound to continue their turnaround.

The Mets took the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Daniel Murphy, filling in for first baseman, Ike Davis singled to right field. He took second on a wild pitch and was promptly driven in by rookie second baseman, Justin Turner, continuing his hitting tear of late after driving in five runs yesterday against the Astros when Turner drove a double into right centerfield.

Pelfrey was making that one run lead stand up, mowing down the Marlin lineup through the first five innings, allowing just three hits.

The big righthander, Johnson got hit on the right forearm by a line drive off the bat of Carlos Beltran in the bottom of the fifth inning. He finished the inning but didn’t return for the bottom of the sixth. Johnson, who dominated the Mets the last time he faced them in Florida, was decidedly more human tonight, allowing seven hits in his five innings, striking out just three batters, and allowing the one single run. He labored with his control, throwing 85 pitches in his five innings.

Pelfrey had been rock-solid in his outing until the top of the seventh when he gave up a bomb of a home run to Mike Stanton, the Marlins’ second year outfielder whose shot reached halfway up the black in straightaway centerfield, estimated at 440 feet away. The blast from the 6’5″, 235 pound Stanton tied the score at 1-1. Pelfrey allowed two more singles in the inning before getting Hanley Ramirez, a star shortstop hitting close to the Mendoza Line at .210, to ground out to Reyes to end the threat.

Pelfrey ended up pitching seven innings, allowing six hits and the one run. His velocity on his fastball remained in the low to mid 90′s the entire game and the big guy looked like an ace for the Mets, a role they’ve been dying for him to take on since Johan Santana’s shoulder surgery rendered him to the sidelines until at least, July.

The game lasted into the 11th inning when Stanton led off with a single. It was Florida reliever Burke Badenhop, allowed to bat for himself, who smacked the game-winning single to center off Ryota Igarashi in the top of the inning that put the Marlins on top.

“We had a lot of things to our advantage and we didn’t capitalize on them,” Collins said.

As for Wright, Alderson said he has a stress fracture in his lower back. Wright had an MRI on his ailing back Monday at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

“I was shocked by it,” manager Terry Collins said about the diagnosis. “… He is without a question the face of this team. His presence in this lineup is something we need. We’re going to ask other guys to pick it up as of today. But I was shocked and unhappy.”

Alderson said the team will get a second opinion from another back specialist at the team’s hospital before committing to the disabled list. If the diagnosis holds, Alderson said Wright will rest for 10 days, then can resume baseball activities. Surgery will not be required, according to the GM.

“It would be a nonsurgical course of treatment,” Alderson said. “According to the information we have now, it would be rest for the next 10 days or so, with a return to baseball activity [afterward]. We’re not talking about something long term, but we are talking about something that may require him to rest for a period of time.

“David himself was surprised by it.”

The Mets believe the injury originally occurred April 19 while Wright tried to make a diving tag on Houston’s Carlos Lee at third base at Citi Field.

Wright said if the risk of worsening the injury did not exist, he might attempt to play through it. Still, he indicated stiffness the first week has turned to localized pain.

“I knew I did it on the Carlos Lee play at third base,” Wright said. “We were playing Houston at home. I don’t know what the date was. About the first week, I felt stiff and sore, but I felt that would go away the next couple of weeks. I was on some medication and some anti-inflammatories that really wasn’t doing much. That explains it now, because it’s not a muscular thing.

“It’s what could be a stress fracture. … It’s probably me somewhat being stubborn and not getting it checked out earlier. I don’t think it really limited me too much or prohibited me from doing anything. It was just a little uncomfortable.”

Wright has been on the DL only once in his career, after getting beaned by San Francisco’s Matt Cain in 2009.

“I don’t think anyone is concerned with feeling sorry for ourselves,” Wright said.

He’s hitting just .226 with six homers and 18 RBIs, but he certainly wasn’t about to blame the injury on his recent struggles.

“By no means is this thing a cop-out or an excuse for what I’ve done so far,” Wright said. “I’ve played through it and when I take the field, I expect to play at a certain level, and thus far I haven’t been able to play at that level.

“This two weeks, I’m going to get better. I’m going to get back in the lineup and I’m going to start playing at the level I expect.”

Alderson indicated the Mets would handle Wright’s absence from within the system. Options would include promoting Ruben Tejada to play second base and shift Justin Turner to third base. Or, the Mets could promote Nick Evans or Luis Hernandez to be available at third base.

Ryan Spilborghs also connected and Esmil Rogers (2-0) won his second straight outing to begin the season as Colorado earned its fourth consecutive victory — all on the road.

The NL West leaders improved to 8-2, with the only two losses coming in extra innings. The Rockies, who opened 7-3 in 1995 and ’97, are 5-1 away from Coors Field after going 31-50 on the road last year.

Tulowitzki, who foiled the Mets with his bat and glove in the series opener Monday night, made them pay again for pitching to him with first base open. He hit a three-run shot off Jonathon Niese (0-2) in the fifth inning to give Colorado a 4-3 lead.

The slugger also doubled and singled, meaning eight of his 11 hits this season have gone for extra bases.

Carlos Beltran and Daniel Murphy each had an RBI double for the Mets, who have dropped six of seven following a three-game winning streak.

The teams will play three games in a 24-hour span — a rainout Tuesday night forced Thursday’s traditional doubleheader, which begins at 12:10 p.m.

The weather was only slightly better Wednesday, when players could see their own breath on a gloomy, misty, 49-degree night that felt more like Victorian London than New York City.

After throwing 7 1/3 strong innings to win 7-1 at Pittsburgh last Thursday, Rogers lasted 5 2/3 innings this time. He gave up three runs and seven hits before four relievers finished up.

Huston Street tossed a perfect ninth for his sixth save in six chances.

Carlos Gonzalez made a diving catch in left field to save a run in the first for the Rockies.

Seth Smith drew a one-out walk in the fifth, Jonathan Herrera singled and Gonzalez’s slow groundout left runners at second and third. With first base open the Mets had a chance to walk Tulowitzki and instead face Jose Lopez with the bases loaded, but manager Terry Collins chose not to.

Tulowitzki reached for an 0-1 pitch that appeared to be outside and punched a slicing shot into the right-field corner. His fifth home run of the season, and second in the past two games at spacious Citi Field, put Colorado ahead 4-3.

The All-Star shortstop hit a two-run shot with first base open in the eighth inning Monday night, giving the Rockies a three-run cushion in a 7-6 victory. He also made an outstanding defensive play to preserve a seventh-inning tie in that game.

Spilborghs added a solo shot off Niese in the sixth, his first of the season. New York cut it to 5-4 on Angel Pagan’s sacrifice fly in the seventh.

With Tulowitzki at the plate in the top of the seventh, Herrera stole second and third on consecutive pitches by Taylor Buchholz. Needing a triple for the cycle, Tulowitzki then struck out and Lopez also went down on strikes.

The Mets intentionally walked Tulowitzki with first base open in the ninth and got out of the inning unscathed.

Tulowitzki doubled in the fourth and scored on Todd Helton’s single.

Game notes:  Helton (stiff lower back) returned to the starting lineup. … Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez was hitting 97 mph with his fastball during an extended spring training game in Arizona and remains on target to return to the rotation Monday night against San Francisco, manager Jim Tracy said. Jimenez is on the 15-day disabled list with a cut finger cuticle. … RHP Greg Reynolds is set to start the opener for Colorado on Thursday and LHP Jorge De La Rosa will go in the second game. RHP R.A. Dickey and LHP Chris Capuano will pitch for New York. … Mets RHP Chris Young has tendinitis in his surgically repaired arm and his next scheduled start has been pushed back two days until Sunday. New York plans to bring RHP D.J. Carrasco out of the bullpen for a spot start in Atlanta on Friday night. … The Mets said RHP Blaine Boyer cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent.

With two out of three wins in Florida to open the season, new Mets manager Terry Collins has his team on the right track. But, tonight comes the beginning of a more challenging enterprise – a three game series against the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia starts in a couple of hours with Cole Hamels going against the Mets Chris Young.

Imagine what a win would do for the confidence of this shattered franchise?

Much of the credit must go to Collins, who’s enthusiasm for the game and for his players is unabashed.

“He has hit all the right notes,” says Sandy Alderson. Of course, Alderson has every reason to be supportive. He’s the one who hired Collins and has a lot at stake with his decision to bring in a 61-year old baseball lifer to instill a little discipline and passion in his 20-something players.

So far, it’s working.

“I’m not sure how much higher (energy) you can get with Terry,” a grinning David Wright said recently. “I wouldn’t expect it to be too much higher without him having a heart attack.”

MIAMI — Willie Harris and Ike Davis homered, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey picked up where he left off last year and the New York Mets beat the Florida Marlins 9-2 on Sunday to win their season-opening series. 

Dickey (1-0) allowed an unearned run and five hits, struck out seven and walked three. The right-hander went 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA last season with the Mets, easily the best year of his career.

New York jumped all over Javier Vazquez (0-1), who was making his Marlins debut. Jose Reyes led off the game with a double and Harris followed with a drive over the fence in right.

The Mets added another run in the first when shortstop Hanley Ramirez made an errant throw attempting to turn an inning-ending double play.

Wright also homered for the Mets, who got a three-hit night from Josh Thole and two hits from Ike Davis.

Logan Morrison drove in two runs and Emilio Bonifacio had two hits for the Marlins, who jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning before managing one hit over the next seven frames.

Mets manager Terry Collins grabbed the lineup card on his way out of the dugout, giving it a kiss after his first victory with his new club.