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. Custom Iceland Soccer Jerseys .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. Custom Dallas Cowboys Jerseys .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. https://www.cheapcustomjerseysonline.com/custom-seattle-seahawks-jerseys/ . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. Custom Tennessee Titans Jerseys . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Custom Detroit Lions Jerseys . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Weve had Super Saturday, Sensational Sunday and now Terrific Tuesday. There really shouldnt be any more alliterative names made up for days of the week when the British team do well here.The latest development was Team GB going three medals beyond its minimum target of 47 on Tuesday night to make this the nations best ever away Olympics, and it would be a lot easier to simply celebrate an outstanding Games performance that is still rolling.Why split it up? Lets just call it all Britains Brazilian brilliance; that should keep everyone happy.We said we believed this to be our most talented Team GB squad and everything we have seen to-date has proven that to be true, said British Olympic Association chief executive Bill Sweeney. With a number of them still to compete we are hopeful of creating yet more history and new heroes and heroines.A total of 10 more medals were won by Team GB on Tuesday: three golds, two silvers and four bronzes. They were won in sailing, cycling, diving, boxing and gymnastics and came in a hectic four-and-a-half hour spell.Those who added more medals to the Rio roll of honour were: Giles Scott (sailing gold), Jason Kenny and Laura Trott (both track cycling golds); Becky James (track cycling silver), Jack Laugher, Chris Mears (both diving silvers); Amy Tinkler and Nile Wilson (both gymnastics bronzes), Katy Marchant (track cycling bronze), Josh Buatsi (boxing bronze).The key question now is: how many more Britain will bring home? The top end of the target range was 79 medals, which looks extremely unlikely, but the London haul of 65 doesnt seem impossible.It would stilll be a big leap but track and field will be under pressure to deliver more podium places and sailing, diving, BMX, triathlon, taekwondo and boxing all look well placed to add to the total.ddddddddddddThe previous British record for an away Games was Beijing in 2008, when Britain brought back 47 medals, and that was one of the best hauls of any Olympics.Which all begs the next question: how has Team GB done it? Hard work and excellence are certainly major reasons but significant investment has also played a major part.UK Sport, which distributes lottery funding, has provided ￡350 million for Olympic and Paralympic sports for the years 2013-17, and in the previous four years it was ￡263m.The approach is business-like, too, with sports which fail to reach the targets set by the authority having funding cut at the end of the cycle.Swimming had its funding slashed after 2012 but has delivered, while the other leading sports here enjoyed UK Sport investment.That financial imperative will have pushed each sports governing body hard to make improvements. It may have had a motivational effect on the overall performance, bringing pressure on support staff, but it would be silly to think it was in the minds of the athletes.The reasons for success, of course, are open to debate but what is not is the medal tally. On Tuesday night, Britain were still second in the medal table, above China -- which has 51 medals -- because of a greater number of golds and silvers. And that is pretty brilliant. ' ' '