rn.Boro ended their first half guilty of squandering a nu

NEW YORK -- Stuck in a batting slump all week, the New York Mets seemed unlikely to even get a hit. Scoring? That looked downright impossible. Yet somehow, they rallied. The Mets suddenly struck for three runs in the ninth inning against Philadelphias makeshift bullpen minus closer Jonathan Papelbon, then ended a five-game skid by beating the Phillies 5-4 Sunday on Ruben Tejadas single in the 11th. "Desperate? You can call it desperate if you want to, but we have to stay positive," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I dont know, standing on the edge of the cliff probably is a better way to describe it." Down 4-1 with only three outs left, the punchless Mets fought back, sparked by Daniel Murphys two-run homer. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said Papelbon was sore and unavailable to pitch in a third straight game. "The daily grind of the season," Papelbon said. "Its just kind of a product of the last couple of games." Lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo and Roberto Hernandez -- who started Friday night -- quickly let the Phillies lead slip away. In the 11th, Chris Young opened with an infield single, barely beating the flip from second baseman Chase Utleys glove. The Mets sent up pitcher Zack Wheeler as a pinch-hitter, and he put down a perfect sacrifice bunt that moved Young to second. Juan Lagares drew an intentional walk and Anthony Recker loaded with the bases with another infield hit stopped by diving third baseman Reid Brignac. Tejada won it with one out, hitting a sharp single to left-centre against Jeff Manship (1-1). Tejadas teammates chased him down in short right field to celebrate. "It feels pretty good after a rough week for me and the team," said Tejada, who recently lost his starting job at shortstop. Scott Rice (1-1) got Brignac on a grounder with two runners on to finish the 11th. Held to a total of nine runs in their previous five games, the Mets began their comeback in the ninth when Eric Young Jr. led off with a double and Murphy followed with a home run that made it 4-3. Chris Young ended his 0-for-18 slump by hitting a one-out double off the wall, and Hernandez emerged from the bullpen -- he threw 99 pitches in the series opener. Pinch-hitter Bobby Abreu singled off the glove of a diving Utley, and a slow grounder by Lagares drove in the tying run. When Tejada came up in the 11th, he said he had one thought in mind: "Finish the game." The Mets comeback denied Cole Hamels his elusive first win of the year and the 100th of his career. He struck out 10 in seven innings while throwing a whopping 133 pitches, the most by any major leaguer since San Franciscos Tim Lincecum tossed 148 in his no-hitter last July 13. The Mets started quickly when Young Jr. led off with a single and stole second, Murphy walked and David Wright hit an RBI single. NOTES: A day after making his debut, the Mets Eric Campbell singled for his first big league hit. ... Jonathon Niese struck out twice, leaving Mets pitchers 0 for 63 at the plate this year. ... The four-game Subway Series begins Monday night at Yankee Stadium with Mets RHP Bartolo Colon (2-5, 5.36 ERA) facing RHP Hiroki Kuroda (2-3, 4.43). The teams play twice in the Bronx before shifting across town for two more at Citi Field. The Mets went 4-0 against the Yankees last year. ... Lefty-hitting Curtis Granderson didnt start vs. Hamels, but Collins said the outfielder would be in the lineup Monday night. It will be Grandersons first game in the Bronx since leaving the Yankees in the off-season, signing with the Mets and saying: "A lot of the people Ive met in New York have always said that true New Yorkers are Mets fans." ... Several players swung pink bats on Mothers Day to support the fight against breast cancer. In keeping with the days theme, Mets reliever Carlos Torres asked the team to play the hip-hop song "Dear Mama" by the late Tupac Shakur over the PA system if he got into the game Sunday. Torres didnt pitch. ... It was Bark at the Park Day to support pet rescue and adoption. Many fans brought their dogs for a pregame parade around the warning track. Not barking was longtime Mets hot dog vendor Willie B, popular for his loud woofing in the second deck. He said his back was hurting, so he was carrying a lighter tray of pretzels. Real dogs are allowed to sit with their owners in the right-field porch at these Bark events -- on those days, Willie B says he instead refers to his usual wares as "frankfurters, out of respect." Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys . Chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel also accused Pistorius of tailoring his testimony to fit the evidence at the scene. Pistorius denied the accusations. Nel alleged that the Olympic runner changed his aim with his 9 mm pistol to ensure that he hit Steenkamp as she fell back against a magazine rack in a toilet cubicle. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys .In a statement released Friday, the Catalan club said the Brazil stars recovery would be monitored to determine when he can begin training again. http://www.cheapmapleleafsjerseys.com/. -- Phil Mickelson will be watching the final two rounds of the Masters from home for the first time in 17 years. Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys China . The Brazilian international goalkeeper was beaten twice in the first 12 minutes of his Reds debut in a 3-1 preseason loss to Columbus Crew in Florida earlier this week. Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Authentic . JOHNS, N.Cristhian Stuanis early strike paved the way for Middlesbrough to win the so-called richest match in football and confirm their return to the Premier League after a seven-year absence. Needing just a draw against promotion rivals Brighton by virtue of their better goal difference, Boro were pegged back by a second-half equaliser from Dale Stephens, who was later sent off.But despite eight minutes of stoppage time, the second goal the Seagulls pressed desperately for never came, Aitor Karankas side exorcising the memory of last seasons play-off final defeat to seal their place back in the big time. Cristhian Stuani of Middlesbrough celebrates the opening goal Talk of a £170m jackpot might seem obscene in a region recently blighted by steel redundancies, and the celebrations at the final whistle intimated Boros joyous supporters are more interested in a prize that money could not buy.Seven years after sinking out of the top flight on the final day of the season, Karankas impressive, if occasionally tumultuous revolution, was complete, and some of the biggest clubs in the world will be back at the Riverside Stadium next season. There were scenes of joy in Middlesbrough as they secured promotion Brighton, who travelled north in search of their own fairy tale, 19 years after Robbie Reinelts goal at Hereford prevented them dropping out of the Football League, must now prepare themselves to seek promotion through the play-offs - Sheffield Wednesday their opponents.Chris Hughtons Seagulls, who had soared back into automatic promotion contention on the back of a 13-match unbeaten run, knew only a win would be good enough to join Burnley back in the top fight for the first time since 1983. Pick your team Aguero? Ozil? De Bruyne? Pick your Fantasy Six-a-Side team for the chance to win ￡10,000 Karanka, inspired by the belief that his side had learned from last seasons play-off final defeat, responded boldly by bringing Stuani back into his line-up and leaving local boy Stewart Downing and striker Jordan Rhodes on the bench.In an opening period in which neither side betrayed signs of nerves, Sam Baldock saw a first-minute chance deflected out for a corner for the visitors, while Albert Adomah just failed to reach a Stuani cross in front of goal. Middlesbroughs David Nugent and Stewart Downing dedicated the clubs return to the Premier League to the chairman Steve Gibson Brighton had marginally the better of the early exchanges, Stephens seeing a long-range effort tipped over, and Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos plucking an Anthony Knockaert cross off the head of Connor Goldson.ddddddddddddarankas selection was spectacularly vindicated in the 19th minute when Boro grabbed their opener, David Nugent flicking on a free-kick and Stuani stretching to poke past David Stockdale in the six-yard box. Stuani opens the scoring for Middlesbrough in the promotion showdown at the Riverside Ben Gibson and Adam Clayton react to Middlesbroughs promotion Goldson deflected a second Stuani effort over the bar and Ramirez floated an attempted lob onto the roof of the net as Boro pushed to effectively finish the job and rubber-stamp their top-flight return.Boro ended their first half guilty of squandering a number of good opportunities to score a second, and they were punished nine minutes into the second half when Stephens headed home a Knockaert free-kick at the far post. Dale Stephens of Brighton celebrates after scoring against Middlesbrough But the balance of the game swung dramatically just three minutes later, when goalscorer Stephens was sent off for a foul on Ramirez which left the Uruguayan to be carried off with what looked like a serious injury. Aitor Karanka said he couldnt be more proud of his Middlesbrough players Adomah could have settled the hosts mounting nerves when he swung at a loose ball in the Brighton box with three minutes to go, forcing a brilliant point-blank reaction save out of Stockdale.But the home side remained relatively calm through the rising tumult of eight minutes of injury time, a last, sure catch from Konstantopoulos finally signalling the inevitable, wild pitch invasion from home fans, their journey complete. ' ' '