Tag: Jon Niese

Mets Niese, Tejada Power Sweep of Braves

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: Jon Niese #...

The Mets put the nail in the Braves coffin today at Citi Field to sweep the first series of the season. It’s early, so I’m not getting too excited. I know that this roster doesn’t stack up, on paper, to the other rosters in the division. But I like that they’ve got some fight in them.

The Mets finished off the last game of the series with a 7-5 win highlighted by Jon Niese taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. He ended up coming out in the seventh inning before recording an out after throwing 103 pitches.

Ruben Tejada, who usually looks like an automatic out to me, led the Mets offense going 4 for 5 with 2 RBI’s and 2 Runs. Hopefully, it’s not a fluke and he’ll be able to contribute offensively with some consistency.

Here’s some video of the post-game from SNY.

http://web.sny.tv/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=20464291&width=400&height=224&property=sny

Mets Sign Contract Extension with Jon Niese

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: Jon Niese #...

The Mets finally locked in Jon Niese to a contract extension after days of speculation that this was coming. The contract is similarly structured to the deal that Derek Holland recently signed with the Rangers. The deal is 5-years/$25 million plus two option years that could max out the contract at $52 million.

It’s a good deal for Niese. He lost four arbitration years and gave up only one free agent year if the options aren’t exercised. Niese in 22-23 with a 4.39 ERA for his career but he is left handed. I’ve always like Niese but never thought he was worthy of a significant contract extension.

Sadly, this is the biggest contract Sandy Alderson has signed since becoming GM of the Mets more than two seasons ago. That goes to show you the sad state of financial affairs of the Mets.

Mets 11 – Braves 7 August 6, 2011

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: Justin Turner #2 of t...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The Mets finally snapped their five game losing streak with a game filled with bad pitching and tons of hitting. The Mets have struggled to score runs this past week but finally teed off on Tommy Hanson and George Sherrill with 16 hits, 5 walks, and 4 home runs. They were led by Justin Turner who went 2 for 5 with 2 homers and 4 RBI’s. He hit on to right and one to left. It was pretty impressive.

Jon Niese didn’t have a good game at all but got the win because of the Mets’ heavy hitting. He went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs. Normally, that wouldn’t result in a win but tonight’s game was unusual. It was encouraging that Bobby Parnell looked pretty good in the eighth inning. He only gave up one walk but he threw 17 pitches, 12 for strikes and he was over 100 mph with his fastball.

The Mets and Braves will play the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon.

Box score

Nationals 3 – Mets 2 July 31, 2011

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: RY 24: RY ...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The Mets lose the series in Washington today and take their second straight loss. Jon Niese had a decent start going 5.1 innings and allowing 2 runs on 8 hits.

The Mets had no offense going until Scott Hairston came in for Lucas Duda in the seventh. He hit a solo homer in his first at-bat, then another solo homer in the ninth to tie the game. That was all of the offense the Mets could muster today.

Bobby Parnell pitched the ninth inning and was a complete mess. He hit a batter and the umpire, was wild as you’ve ever seen him, and gave up the game winning infield single.

The Mets head home to face the Marlins starting tomorrow night.

Box score

Mets 8 – Reds 6 July 26, 2011

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - FEBRUARY 24: RY 24: RY ...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The Mets won a strange game scoring 6 unearned runs off Johnny Cueto. That’s right, I wrote “unearned” runs. The Reds defense was completely asleep in the first half of the game. They were literally kicking the ball all over the field.

The Mets needed the help too because Jon Niese was pretty bad giving up 5 runs in 5 innings pitching back home in Ohio. He gave up 4 in the fifth inning and the capper was a 2-run homer by Joey Votto into the left field seats.

In addition to the errors, the Mets were hitting tonight with 12 hits and 3 walks in the game. The big game came from Daniel Murphy who went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI’s.

The Mets bullpen gets the game ball though. They got through 4 innings while Ryota Igarashi allowed the only run. They didn’t have Jason Isringhausen or Bobby Parnell available so it was a mix and match job for Terry Collins. Tim Byrdak got the save. That tells you how much the bullpen was held together with duct tape and gum.

The Mets won the second straight game in Cincy and go again tomorrow afternoon in what’s supposed to be some scorching hot weather.

Box score

Mets 2 – Cardinals – 6 July 21, 2011

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 20: Albert Pujols #5 of th...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

As the Mets today played at Citi Field, they were playing under very hot and humid conditions.  The temperature for today was over 100 degrees.  The weather must have gotten to them as the Mets miss completing the sweep of the Cardinals 6-2.

Jonathan Niese didn’t have the start that he was hoping for today.  He went 6 innings, gave up 3 ER’s on 5 hits.  Niese’s biggest mistake of the afternoon was giving up a 2-run HR to “the machine” Albert Pujols in the first inning.

On a positive note, Jose Reyes is continuing to hit the ball well, as he legged out yet another triple.  Reyes now has 16 triples in 2011.   The Mets also gotten RBI hits from Justin Turner (who continues to be the Mets main go-to guy for RBI’s), and Jason Pridie (who was the in the starting lineup for the first time since last month).

Box Score

Preview: Phillies at Mets July 16, 2011

Philadelphia Phillies (58-34) at New York Mets (46-46) 4:10pm

Cole Hamels (11-4 2.32) vs. Jon Niese (8-7 3.88)

TV: FOX             Radio: WFAN

What to watch: The Phillies will try to put another beat down on the Mets today on national TV, while the Mets struggle daily to stay relevant. Hamels is having the best season of his solid six year career. He has the lowest ERA, WHIP, and BAA of his career which adds up to a lot of wins. He’s got 11 wins already and only had 12 all of last season. And he does it in a hitter’s park, so the Mets will have their work cut out for them today at Citi Field.

Niese got hit for 2 runs in .1 innings in his first relief appearance in San Francisco before the break. But his pas three starts have been pretty good. He’s been solid and never really lets the Mets get completely out of the game. He’s been tough on lefties this year (.239 BAA) so that should help against the Phillies lineup. And his ERA at home (3.40) is almost a run less than it is on the road (4.37).