Center field growing on Amazins' Nieuwenhuis

Center field growing on Amazins' Nieuwenhuis

Howard Simmons/New York Daily News

Mets center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis runs down catcher Hector Sanchez's fly ball in eighth inning.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis knows that he wont be the one to d ecide who starts in center field once veteran Andres Torres returns from the calf injury thats bothered him since the start of the season. But the rookie is doing his best to tilt the odds in his favor.

Its not my call, he said after Friday nights 4-3, 10-inning loss to the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field. Its up to other people. I just go out there and play.

METS FORCE EXTRAS, BUT CAN'T SEAL THE DEAL IN 4-3 LOSS

He continued to play well, though. Nieuwenhuis went 1-for-3, hitting a solo shot his second home run of the season in the fifth inning and making a diving, over-the-shoulder catch on a well-hit ball by Hector Sanchez to end the eighth.

Nieuwenhuis homer was the first by a Mets lefthanded batter to clear the left-field wall. Former Met Angel Pagan hit an inside-the-park homer in that direction against the Phillies on Aug. 23, 2009.

We all knew he had a lot of talent, starter Jonathon Niese said of Nieuwenhui s. Its good to see he is showing it.

IRKED IKE
It was a frustrating evening for first baseman Ike Davis, who went 0-for-5 and left seven men on. Davis was particularly upset after striking out against Jeremy Affeldt to end the eighth inning, flipping his bat in disgust. But he said he just needed to put the game out of his mind.

I faced four at-bats against pretty tough lefties, said Davis, who had homered in three of his previous four games. Just gotta go out tomorrow and try to hit it hard and keep plugging away.

PAGAN AGAIN
Pagan enjoyed a bittersweet homecoming. Pagan, who spent the last four seasons in New York before being traded to San Francisco in December, homered in the third inning.

It was his lone hit of the evening, and was roundly booed after it. Still, he said he harbored no ill will toward his former club. Sometimes, teams need to go in new directions and the Mets needed to build th eir bullpen, Pagan said. Thats very understandable. It was a good deal, and I respect that very much.