New York @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Apr 13, 2010 ) NY Mets 3, Colorado 11
The New York Mets, losers of three straight, will look to young left-hander Jon Niese to stop the slide tonight against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
Niese, coming back from a gruesome hamstring tear a year ago, was somewhat effective in his first start of the season last week against the Florida Marlins, allowing three runs and eight hits over six innings in an outing that he called “pleasantly disappointing.”
The 22-year-old Niese (0-1) was penciled in as the Mets’ No. 5 starter in spring training, outpitching like Fernando Nieve and Nelson Figueroa (now with the Philadelphia Phillies) for that last rotation spot. However, Mets manager Jerry Manuel liked the way Niese threw so much during the spring that he pushed Niese up to No. 3 in the rotation, ahead of Mike Pelfrey and Oliver Perez.
Niese lost his only appearance against the Rockies last July in New York. Clint Barmes took Niese deep for a two-run homer in that game.
The Mets (2-5) are off to their worst start since 2006, when they lost their first five games.
The Rockies (4-3) look to veteran righty Aaron Cook to continue their winning ways. Cook (0-1) lost in his first start of the season, allowing five runs in 5 1/3 innings to the Milwaukee Brewers last week.
The Rockies twice gave Cook a three-run lead in the game, but Cook squandered both of them. Cook relies on a sinker and slider and he admitted that neither pitch worked well against Milwaukee.
Cook (11-6, 4.16 ERA last year) has a fine career mark against New York, going 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA. He’s held Met regulars David Wright (.150) and Jose Reyes (.276) below their regular career averages, although Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur have had some prior success against Cook.
The Rockies will more than likely be without starting right fielder Brad Hawpe for the next few days. Hawpe suffered a quadriceps injury while legging out a two-run double in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game.
Hawpe was off to a fine start, batting .350 with two homers and four RBIs. Fellow outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is still battling a hamstring injury and is not ready to return.
However, Seth Smith looks primed to fill in while Hawpe and Gonzalez are out of action. Smith had two hits, including a two-run homer, and three RBIs in Tuesday night’s 11-3 rout of the Mets.
After Tuesday night’s game, Manuel said that he still has to decide about John Maine’s status in the Mets’ rotation. Maine has been awful in his first two starts, pitching to a 13.50 ERA, and showing a major decrease in velocity.
Maine was throwing 88 mph Tuesday night, a marked drop-off from the 94-mph fastball he once threw. The right-hander is coming off two injury-riddled seasons, one ending in shoulder surgery.