KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Jon Niese remains the front-runner in the race for the final spot in the Mets’ rotation, but not based on anything he showed the team yesterday.
Actually, it could be considered Niese’s good fortune that he appeared in the same game as his primary competition, Fernando Nieve. Both had brutal outings in the Mets’ 7-6 exhibition loss to the Braves in 10 innings.
Niese allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks over two innings. Nieve pitched three innings and allowed three runs on four hits and two walks. It was the walks that most concerned manager Jerry Manuel.
MATTINGLY COULD TAKE OVER FROM TORRE
“Those two guys in competing for that spot, you want strike throwers,” Manuel said. “They are both very capable of doing that.”
Niese knew he was in trouble early.
“My fastball command wasn’t there in the first inning,” he said.
It was a contrast to what the Mets saw from Niese in his first start of the Grapefruit League season, when he allowed one run over 2 2/3 innings against the Marlins with five strikeouts.
“We know that if he starts commanding his pitches, we’ve got a real good pitcher,” Manuel said. “So we’re going to give him every opportunity to be stretched out and hopefully see a little big better command.”
Nelson Figueroa, an extreme dark horse in the competition, continues to shine. He pitched two shutout innings and is yet to allow a run this spring (eight innings pitched).
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Chris Carter is making a case for a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster as a pinch-hitter.
Carter homered against Derek Lowe in the first inning, giving him homers on three straight swings, dating to Monday against the Marlins. The streak ended in the third inning when Carter flied out.
Manuel calls Carter “The Animal” because of his morning workout routine. Carter, whom the Mets obtained in the Billy Wagner trade to Boston last summer, could battle Frank Catalanotto and Mike Jacobs for the final spot on the Mets’ bench. The fact Carter does not have a true position works against him.
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Mike Pelfrey, Hisanori Takahashi and Ryota Igarashi are among the pitchers scheduled to see action for the Mets today against the Red Sox at Tradition Field. John Lackey is expected to start for the Red Sox.