Since the 4-0 start to open the 2012 season, quality pitching hasn’t been as easy to come by. Jon Niese will try to help give the Mets some stability tonight as they host the San Francisco Giants for the first time this year. For a team with the lowest of expectations, it isn’t too shabby being able to look at this team and say that this series is all about keeping the overall record above .500.
Mets Lineup
1. Ruben Tejada, SS
2. Daniel Murphy, 2B
3. David Wright, 3B
4. Ike Davis, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Scott Hairston, RF
7. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, CF
8. Mike Nickeas, C
9. Jon Niese, LHP
Ruben Tejada returns to the lineup after a day off, and Lucas Duda will get to rest his bat with the lefty Zito on the mound. The Mets are 4-0 in series openers so far this year, so it will be crucial to jump down the throats of the Giants tonight and get that winning attitude back, the stuff they strutted against the Braves in that 3-0 series at home.
Ike Davis and Kirk Nieuwenhuis will get the opportunity to work against Zito tonight despite the mismatch. This is somewhat of a continued audition for Captain Kirk who could boldly go further into cementing himself in the Mets lineup with a strong showing against a southpaw starter.
And don’t forget, just one more run batted in and David Wright’s 734th will help him jump into first over Darryl Strawberry on the Mets all-time list.
Giants Lineup
1. Angel Pagan, CF
2. Melky Cabrera, RF
3. Pablo Sandoval, 3B
4. Buster Posey, 1B
5. Brett Pill, LF
6. Hector Sanchez, C
7. Emmanuel, Burriss, 2B
8. Brandon Crawford, SS
9. Barry Zito, LHP
Looking into this Giants lineup, there is a glaring experience gap between the 1-4 hitters and 5-8 hitters. Primarily a first baseman, Brett Pill starts his first career Major League game in left field.
This game is also somewhat of a homecoming for Angel Pagan, whose return greeting at Citi Field will probably consist of a mixture of cheers and blahs.
Matchup
NYM: Jon Niese (2-0, 2.13 ERA) After signing his 5-year deal and raking in the dough, Niese hasn’t yet disappointed on the mound in two starts. Let’s see if his third is enough to send him for a loop, as seen with Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey. On the bright side, the bottom of half of the Giants lineup isn’t nearly as beefy as the top. With a win tonight, Niese will get his first against San Francisco. He must continue to keep the hit count down. Over his first 12.2 innings of work, he’s surrendered just 7 hits. He’ll look to keep the Giants bats quiet tonight.
SFG: Barry Zito (1-0, 1.13 ERA) After shutting out the Rockies to open the season and turning in a fine effort against Pittsburgh on Saturday, at 33, Zito is beginning to prove that his miserable nine starts in 2011 were nothing but a fluke. He hasn’t adjusted well to the National League, in fact his last season with a sub-4.00 ERA was his 16-win season in Oakland back in 2006. With that being said, Zito has a 3-2 record in six starts against the Mets in his career, posting a 3.31 average.
Stache Keys to the Game
- Ride the ridiculously hot bat that David Wright is swinging right now to make it a historical night at the ballpark.
- Reward Kirk Nieuwenhuis with some runners in scoring position. The rookie is on a six-game hitting streak in which he’s hitting 9-20. Get the kid some RBI, it’s time for the Mets to feature a Rookie of the Year candidate.
- Take advantage of these unseasoned San Francisco Bats. Hector Sanchez, Brett Pill, Brandon Crawford, who are you? Jon Niese must go right after the likes of these guys.
Slated for a 7:10 PM ET start, catch the game live on SNY and WFAN 660
