Without a botched call by third-base umpire Adrian Johnson in the sixth inning, the Mets would still be looking for their first no-no. Carlos Beltran, playing at Citi Field against the Mets for the first time since he was traded last July, hit a liner down the third-base line that was clearly fair, going over the bag hitting the chalk of the foul line just beyond it. But Johnson ruled it foul.



"I saw the ball hit outside the line just foul," Johnson told a pool reporter. When the reporter told him that the replay showed it differently — chalk dust kicks up when the ball hits the line — Johnson replied, "Yes, I saw the replay."



"There are times one play, one call makes the whole difference," Santana said. "If that's the case, tonight it was that call. I can't say anything about it. I just went with it. The umpire made the call and I stayed with my game."



There was the added drama of Santana's surgically repaired left shoulder.



Collins had talked before the game about monitoring Santana's pitch count and said he'd like him to be within the 110-115 range, which the lefty eclipsed before the end of the eighth.



The 33-year-old, who did not pitch in 2011 because of the operation to repair the anterior capsule of his shoulder on Sept. 14, 2010, threw a career-high 134 pitches, 26 more than he had thrown in any start this season.



Later, Collins appeared distraught over letting Santana stay in. Several times, the manager fought to hold back tears, his voice shaky. "I'm very, very excited for him," Collins said. "But in five days, if his arm is bothering him, I'm not going to feel very good."



There was also the requisite sensational play — left fielder Mike Baxter, the kid from Queens, made a running, stumbling catch in the seventh to take a hit away from Yadier Molina. Baxter smashed full-speed into the wall moments after snagging the ball and had to come out of the game, but he got a standing ovation as trainers led him off the field. The Molloy HS product suffered a left shoulder bruise and was undergoing further testing, the Mets said.



While Baxter first lay on the warning track in left, Santana was unsure if he had caught the ball.



"He saved us," Santana said.



"He'll go down in the annals of New York Met lore because of that catch, to save the first no-hitter," Dickey added.



The Mets got four RBI from Lucas Duda, including a three-run homer, and three RBI from Daniel Murphy.



Santana (3-2), who had thrown a shutout in his last outing, walked five to go along with his eight K's.



"I gotta be honest," Dickey said, "I don't know if he had his best stuff."



But he had everyone's attention, although several Mets said Santana was left alone between innings. While the Mets batted in the seventh, Collins told Santana, "You're my hero." Santana told the manager that he wouldn't come out of the game.



"That's what the whole thing is about," Collins said. "To have this surgery done and have people say, he's not coming back, his career is over, if he comes back, he'll be a subpar guy, another guy who had surgery who's being paid a lot of money so he'll continue to pitch.



"What got him to this level is what he showed you tonight — he trusts himself, and he said he's going to come back from this and it's led to this.



"It's an amazing story."



"Golly, man, I don't know if I've ever been prouder of a teammate," added Dickey. "It was just supernatural, is what it was."