(Sports Network) - Jonathon Niese heads into tonight's start for the Mets on
a shutout streak ... sort of.
The southpaw, who will take the mound in the middle test of a three-game
series against the NL Central-leading Reds, has fanned 16 and walked just two
over his last two outings. He hasn't allowed an earned run in either
appearance - a 6-1 win against the Cardinals on June 3 and a no-decision on
Sunday vs. the Yankees. Niese gave up two unearned runs in the Subway Series
contest.
Niese is 2-0 over his last four starts and starts a 1-1 mark with a 5.79 ERA
in three lifetime games when facing the Reds.
Homer Bailey would've had his fourth win in a five-start span, if not for
Cincinnati's bullpen blunders late in a 7-6 loss to the Tigers on Sunday
night. The right-hander, who gets the start tonight, didn't get a decision in
his most recent appearance.
He departed leading 6-2, but was charged with a run on Prince Fielder's single
off Sean Marshall. In the eighth inning, the Tigers took the lead with four
runs scored - two each off Logan Ondrusek and Aroldis Chapman.
Bailey, who put together a three-game winning streak from May 19-29, is 0-1
with a 13.00 ERA in two games against the Mets.
Last night, Wilson Valdez drove in three runs as Cincinnati took a 7-3 win.
Brandon Phillips hit a two-run home run while Jay Bruce had an inside-the-park
homer for the Reds, who have won four straight.
Bronson Arroyo (3-4) won for the first time since May 7 as he gave up just
three runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts over six-plus
innings. He had been 0-3 in his previous six starts.
"The pitching staff had been pretty consistent since the first day and our
defense has been great," said Arroyo. "The only thing that you can attribute
to our losses is scoring a few more runs. And know we're playing teams that
are playing good and still finding ways to win, so that's a good sign for us."
Dillon Gee (4-5) was touched for four runs -- three earned -- on five hits
with a walk and four strikeouts over six innings of work for the Mets, who had
a three-game winning streak stopped. Scott Hairston hit a two-run home run in
the loss.
The second inning saw the Reds plate two men to grab the lead. Bruce led off
the frame with a fly ball to left field. Jason Bay tried to track down the
ball, but it landed just out of his reach as he dove and crashed into the
wall, allowing Bruce to come all the way home. Bay left the game and was
replaced by Hairston, who committed an error two batters later when he
misplayed a Ryan Ludwick double that saw Todd Frazier, who had singled prior
to Ludwick, come home.
"He was dizzy. I asked him what he did and he said he hit his head," said New
York manager Terry Collins about Bay. "I asked him if he was dizzy and he said
yes so I told him he was done. He wanted to try and go back out there and I
told him no, not with the past."
The Mets said during the game that Bay possibly suffered a concussion on the
play. He had a concussion in 2010, his first season with the Mets.
New York and Cincinnati split a pair of games at Citi Field this season from
May 16-17. The Mets are 7-3 in the previous 10 matchups between the clubs.
The Sports Network