Jon Niese had yet another disastrous start on Tuesday as the New York Mets were outslugged by the Philadelphia Phillies 14-8 at Citi Field.
Niese allowed six earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two in five innings of work. The big blow was a three-run homer to Darin Ruf in a brutal five-run fifth inning.
“He’s just leaving balls over the plate,” manager Terry Collins said after the game. “That’s two games in a row where, in a big situation, he’s hung two curveballs to Ruf and gotten hurt by it.”
Niese has now allowed five or more earned runs in three straight starts. In those 16.1 innings pitched, he has let up 18 earned runs on 23 hits, 9 walks and 3 home runs.
It’s a far cry from his previous 13 starts that saw Niese post a 2.88 ERA in 84.1 innings and holding the opposition to a .225 batting average.
“When I was going good, I was able to throw all my pitches in the bottom of the zone to a consistent basis,” Niese told reporters. “Right now, I’m leaving a few pitches up, making too many mistakes and not getting away with them.”
With the Mets gearing up for their first postseason appearance since 2006, every starter’s performance will be magnified going forward as the team decides which four pitchers will comprise their playoff rotation.
Last night, the Washington Nationals lost in stunning fashion again and they are running out of games to catch the Mets whose Magic Number is now 25.
Niese has chosen a bad time to go into a slump.
