"Dirt still caked Jason Bay's right arm when he entered the Mets clubhouse after tonight's 3-2 victory over the Florida Marlins. His sore shoulder was swaddled in protective wrap. His evening was busy.

In a restorative win over the Marlins, Bay snapped an 0-for-17 slump, collected three hits and found himself arguing with home-plate umpire Fieldlin Culbreth when he was called out at the plate.

Bay doubled to open the eighth inning, then sprinted home on a grounder to first. He missed the plate with his head-first slide — manager Terry Collins would have preferred feet-first — but catcher John Buck fumbled the ball.

Bay crawled in the dirt in his attempt to score.

"It's not like he missed me by three feet — it was pretty close," Bay said. "All I know is I'm scrambling to the plate, and I didn't feel anything."

Culbreth saw it differently. His call upset Bay, who could later joke about the moment. He had already received a bit of good fortune. His first hit of the game was a swinging bunt that ticked off the mound for an infield single.

"I feel like I really earned that one," Bay said.

Bay entered the night in a 2-for-45 slump. He plans to use the last month as a springboard for 2012. After the game, Bay said he and hitting coach Dave Hudgens were retooling his approach so that it mirrored what he used with Boston. "