CHICAGO — Bobby Parnell is expecting better things this time around.
After flopping as the closer over the final six weeks of last season for the Mets, the righty fireballer is back in the ninth-inning role, as Frank Francisco sits on the disabled list with a strained left oblique.
“Last year wasn’t a good year for me,” Parnell said before the Mets 6-1 loss to the Cubs last night. “I wasn’t successful in the role, so I’ve got to do what I’ve been doing lately, which is basically get down in the strike zone and throw something up there to get them offspeed.”
Manager Terry Collins isn’t exactly bursting with ninth-inning options other than Parnell, as Jon Rauch has struggled and Miguel Batista, Jeremy Hefner and Ramon Ramirez, among others, aren’t considered closing material.
Collins said the fact Parnell has added a curveball to his arsenal this season makes him a different pitcher.
“He had some ups and downs last year and learned how to deal with them and actually came back better,” Collins said. “This is a chance to show everybody what he has learned.”
* Reliever Justin Hampson was called up from Triple-A Buffalo yesterday to give the Mets a second lefty in the bullpen, along with Tim Byrdak. The 32-year-old Hampson appeared in 79 games with the Rockies and Padres from 2006-08 and posted a 3.38 ERA. He was 4-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 28 games at Buffalo.
To make roster space, Vinny Rottino was designated for assignment.
* Jason Bay was cleared yesterday to begin physical activity and scheduled to ride a stationary bike. He could start running today and then participating in baseball activities by the weekend. But there remains no timetable for Bay, who sustained a concussion on June 15, to rejoin the Mets.
* David Wright extended his hitting streak to 15 games last night, going 1-for-4. He is hitting .362 (21-for-58) over that stretch. It was Wright’s longest hitting streak since Sept. 14, 2007-April 2, 2008, when he hit in 20 straight games.