NEW YORK -- The New York Mets will need to determine who gets bumped from the rotation when Dillon Gee returns from the disabled list after one more start. But manager Terry Collins definitively said after Tuesday's 10-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals that Jonathon Niese is in no danger of being reassigned.

"I don't see Jon Niese pitching out of the bullpen," Collins said.

Niese allowed a career-high-matching eight runs on 11 hits in five-plus innings against St. Louis. He dropped to 3-4 with a 3.72 ERA.

Despite two straight tough outings, Jonathon Niese's rotation spot is not in danger when Dillon Gee comes off the disabled list. Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports

"He didn't have his two-seam fastball," Collins said. "Every time it was called for, it either went straight or he cut it. A lot of them, instead of going away from the barrel, came into the barrel. He struggled with it all night long."

Said Niese: "I could never work the outside part of the plate. They made me pay for it."

Niese had allowed six runs (four earned) in 6 1/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in his previous outing, but Collins described Tuesday night's performance as the southpaw's first all-out clunker.

"The other night in Chicago he was absolutely cruising going into the fifth inning. He had like 35 pitches going into the fifth inning," Collins said. "And, all of a sudden, balls were in the middle of the plate."

First thing: The Mets no longer hold sole possession of first place in the NL East. Washington rallied to beat the Yankees, 8-6, in 10 innings to pull even atop the division. The Mets had enjoyed sole possession of first place since April 16.

Murphy's flaw: The good news: Daniel Murphy accounted for both Mets runs on a two-run homer inside the right-field foul pole in the fourth inning against Michael Wacha.

The bad news: Murphy failed to cover first base on Wacha's bunt attempt in what became a six-run sixth inning. Erik Goeddel fielded the ball after inheriting two runners in scoring position from Niese, but had no one manning first base in order to complete the play.

Murphy said he was watching Mark Reynolds at third base, expecting a squeeze. Reynolds held on the bunt.

"So when he broke, I broke," Murphy said. "I did the wrong play."

Said Collins: "There are times when players try to do extraordinary things when the ordinary is all that's needed. We'll leave it at that."

St. Louis already had pulled off one squeeze play in the game.

It's a hit: Darrell Ceciliani labeled his first major league hit "a huge relief."

Pinch-hitting in the seventh inning in his debut, Ceciliani chopped an infield single past Wacha.

"Man, the heart was pounding for sure -- just a lot of emotions," Ceciliani said. "I kind of calmed myself down, but to get that out of the way was, I guess, a relief."

Cecilani said he did not care that it wasn't a line drive.

"I definitely didn't picture it that way, but I'll take it," he said. "They all count. It's just awesome being up here and being able to experience it."

Ceciliani indicated he did not hear the Citi Field crowd saluting him after the infield single.

"I was kind of in my own little world," he said. "It was just everything going so quick. I was just trying to take a deep breath and absorb everything."

Ceciliani also made the game's final out, striking out against Samuel Tuivailala.