N.Y. Mets ~ Strong Pitching Wins Third Straight

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  Complete Three Game Sweep of Braves.


That's about as good a start as we'll ever get out of the Mets.  In fact, it is technically their best start in club history.  They have never swept a team to open up a season before.  By dispatching the Atlanta Braves, it just goes to show, if you live long enough you'll see things you never thought you'd see before - like a Met No Hitter!  As was almost the case Sunday, when a pooped-out John Niese took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Braves.


Above all else, Jon Niese posted a supreme performance Sunday afternoon to help complete a three game sweep of the Braves.  Even though the newly signed pitcher was only making his first start of the season, his day was still marked with an inability to punch through the seventh inning.  That's something he himself said would improve due to having rhino-surgery; which the pitcher says will improve his breathing/oxygen intake, and in turn, his conditioning.  But for today, his pitch count was over 100 by the time he left the game.  However, even though he was charged with three earned runs in the end, you just can't go pooh-poohing a start like that.  The Braves hitters resorted to working the home plate umpire because they had no answer for Jon Niese who was sporting a rather effective fastball.


Not coincidentally, the Bullpen posted their third positive effort in a row.  Frank Francisco already has three saves in three games.  That's the good news.  The bad news - in the age old theory which states through pitching and defense come success;  -  let's just say Sunday, the Mets had a bad day.


Without a cloud in the sky Sunday, Lucas Duda battled the beaming sun focused in on right field and lost.  Challenged to begin with and already terrorized by the Mo Zone, Duda's odyssey with the sun was just as successful as an ant's under some bored kid's magnifying glass.


Offensively, Daniel Murphy better be careful around second base or else he won't be able to keep cranking out hits for long.


But how do you like our new lead-off guy?  That's exactly where I prefer Ruben Tejada by the way, for I have a quite different idea for this line-up.  I've already stated how I think Daniel Murphy can be a very good three hitter for this line-up.  That means David Wright gets pushed down to the five spot, and Jason Bay gets buried deeper down  on the manager's card.


For three games so far, it's been all systems go.  Now here come the Nationals.  They along with Miami, have been thorns in our sides the last few years.  Over the seasons, both clubs have historically been teams we were supposed to beat.  Instead, all they've done is drive Met Fans mad.  As the season seems to be starting out well unlike last season, maybe the Mets can finally start sticking it to teams like the Nats and the Fish for a change.




Mike.BTB