NEW YORK -- In the latter stages of the Mets' third defeat in three days to two of the National League's worst teams, a quick glance down the home bench wouldn't reveal many forlorn faces.

It wouldn't, in fact, reveal many faces at all.

The Mets emptied their bench in a shorthanded attempt to upend the Nationals, and left Shea Stadium equally as empty -- owners of nothing but a 6-5 loss in the second half of a doubleheader split.

"We're short," said manager Willie Randolph. "And we really can't play with fire."

If playing with fire is akin to attacking a Major League schedule with 23 players, then the Mets have already faced the heat. Shorthanded first by Carlos Beltran's nagging abdominal strain, then by an in-game injury to Paul Lo Duca, the Mets were left without options and the Nationals quickly forced their hand.

Consider that when Lo Duca left in the seventh with a strained right hamstring, Orlando Hernandez -- the winning pitcher in the afternoon game -- came on to pinch-run. And with the game on the line in the ninth, the Mets summoned Tom Glavine, of all people -- of all pitchers -- to pinch-hit. New York had no other option.

Glavine's job was to spark a rally. He wound up sparking nothing at all.

Instead, the Mets went down harmlessly in the ninth, at the mercy of the scraps of roster they had left. The team entered play with four men on the bench, but Beltran -- unavailable until probably Tuesday -- quickly bumped that number down to three. Backup catcher Ramon Castro's name was erased when he took over catching duties for Lo Duca, and Damion Easley came off the bench to pinch-hit in place of starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey.

Only Marlon Anderson was left after the middle innings, and with two on in the seventh inning of a tie game, Randolph played his last card.

The Nationals trumped it.

Anderson flied to left to stall a rally that would end a batter later, and the Mets were left with a tie game, an empty bench, and nowhere to turn but Glavine.

"You got to go for it," Randolph said. "When you get an opportunity, they were shutting us down pretty much. When we started getting back in the game, we felt the momentum of what was going on, so we wanted to keep that flow going."

Yet that flow plugged up awfully fast. And Saturday night, the Mets learned, was the wrong night to play makeshift ball.

Nationals rookie Joel Hanrahan made a splash of a Major League debut, holding the Mets hitless through three innings and scoreless through five. Carlos Delgado's then-dramatic two-run home run tied the game in the sixth and ensured Hanrahan wouldn't escape with a win, but the blast was a rare spark on an otherwise dim night.

Hanrahan pitched better than Pelfrey early, but as the night wore on, the Mets rookie caught up. Both starters finished with three runs allowed in six innings, and both were spared a decision.

Again it was one bad inning that soured Pelfrey's line, this one sparked by a Hanrahan shot that Lastings Milledge misplayed into a triple. Four more hits over the next five batters would plate three, and put the rookie on the hook until Delgado eased him off.

The small consolation -- thanks to Delgado -- was that Pelfrey avoided his eighth straight loss to start the season. The bigger disappointment -- courtesy of the Nats -- was that he pitched well enough to earn that first win.

"I'm getting better," Pelfrey said. "I definitely want to have some better results, and maybe get a win sometime, but I know that personally I'm getting better."

The Mets should get better too, at least in the personnel department. Pelfrey hopped a flight back to New Orleans after the game, making room for another player -- likely Mike DiFelice, since normal third catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. won't clear waivers until Wednesday -- to take his place. Lo Duca, whom David Wright boasts would play even if "his thumb's going to fall off," insists he'll be back by Tuesday. Beltran's status is many times murkier, but the Mets have shown they are willing to sacrifice his roster spot for vague hopes of his health.

"These are all day-to-day injuries," general manager Omar Minaya said. "So we'll see how many days there are."

No doubt the Mets are counting. They can't continue to play at a disadvantage, but they also want their top bats at their disposal. Sooner or later, one half of that wait-and-see strategy has to give. They've waited plenty long, and so far what they've seen hasn't been pretty.

But for now, that waiting continues. And while some may heal faster than others, the Mets can only hope all their injured pieces take a cue from their catcher.

"I'm going to be out there by Tuesday," Lo Duca said, "unless I get shot."