Jon Niese doesn’t come with all of the fan fare guys like Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, or Jacob deGrom do. But, he always seems to fight his way through physical problems and in-game obstacles to give the Mets effective innings most every time out.
Such was the case on Tuesday night against the Braves. It wasn’t flashy, and often times wasn’t pretty, but he got the job done in a blue-collared performance to deliver the Mets ninth consecutive win.
Niese pitched into the seventh inning last night and allowed only a run on four hits with five strikeouts. He did have a rare battle with his command – he walked four batters in 6 2/3 innings, ending a streak of 22 consecutive starts in which he walked three batters or less in a game.
But it’s his ability to deal with those battles and find other ways to be effective which has made Niese a much more mature pitcher.
Often times in the past, Niese would let these single problems compound, which would cause a domino effect during his outings, sometimes resulting in ineffectiveness.
Not last night. Of course, it was helped by his ability to retire the leadoff hitter in six of the seven innings he worked.
“I’m walking too many guys,” Niese said after winning his second game of the year. “I feel like in certain situations I am executing pitches. But, like I said, the walks need to come down. And they will.”
Niese once again had inconsistent arm slots which caused his cutter to flatten out at times. He mixed his cutter and curve well, and actually used them a bit more than he did in his previous start. But, as has been the case in his first three outings, he’s become much more reliant upon his change-up, and last night he had trouble throwing it for strikes.
Still, he found a way, and he credited the game plan in which he and Kevin Plawecki were able to execute in his outing, which was to work the Braves consistently inside.
“He did great in his first game, kept his composure, did great at the plate, called a great game,” Niese said of Plawecki.
Niese is certainly an evolved pitcher. His velocity isn’t what it was a couple of years ago (although he did occasionally get his fastball into the low 90s last night), which has caused him to change his approach and the looks he gives hitters. He’s impressed people with his ability to make these adjustments and remain effective in the process. He’s clearly still battling with his mechanics considering they’re inconsistent, but he’s a veteran now and it’s clear he knows how to make the necessary in-game adjustments to pitch deep into games – he’s pitched into the sixth inning or later in 20 of his last 23 starts dating back to last year.
He has allowed no more than two earned runs in each of his last six starts, the longest such streak of his career. During his current run, dating to September 8, 2014, Niese is 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA. He has allowed three earned runs or less in 33 of his last 36 starts, dating to September 13, 2013. His 1.56 ERA in 2015 ranks seventh in the National League among qualified starting pitchers too. He’s found a way, without the flash and without the glitter, overcoming arm injuries and doubts about his stuff and mental sharpness to boot.
Not bad for a guy not named Harvey or deGrom.
To watch highlights of Niese’s outing, click here.
Just Mets 