Mets rookie smacks blast that counts

Mets rookie smacks blast that counts

Andrew Theodorakis/New York Daily News

Kirk Nieuwenhuis goes deep for his first Major League home run and it comes in a big spot for the Mets.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis was asked about the ball he hit off the Modells sign in right field Monday night for his first big league home run, pointed to the top shelf in his locker and smiled.

Thats it right there, the center fielder said.

Th e 24-year-old shaped the thrilling 4-3 comeback win over the Nationals as much as any Met when he unloaded on a 2-2 slider from Edwin Jackson and drove it for a two-run shot that tied the game 3-3 in the fourth inning. They were also his first RBI in the bigs.

That felt real good and for this team to win at the end there was unbelievable great stuff, Nieuwenhuis said. Ill just remember this whole day: the first home run and then the teams win.

A third-round pick in the 2008 draft, hes been considered a top organizational prospect since. He started the season with Triple-A Buffalo but was quickly called up after starting center fielder Andres Torres suffered a strained calf on Opening Day and was inserted into a platoon with Scott Hairston where he will bat against righthand starters.

Citi Field security guards tracked down the ball, which landed with a couple of girls who were nice enough to fork it over, Nieuwenhuis said, for a bat and a couple baseballs. He plans to give it to his father, Bob, who flew in from Ripon, Calif., when he got called to the majors. Hes still here so I can give it to him.

Jackson had fed him a steady diet of sliders and with two strikes you just try to back everything up and shoot something over the middle, he said. It was a hanging slider.

Though he crushed it, Nieuwenhuis didnt think it was out off the bat. And were it not for Citi Fields redesign, it wouldnt have been. The sign it struck was in play last season.

Thats a double last year so, no, I wasnt sure off the bat, he said.

PEN MIGHTIER
Where most looked at the Mets and saw questions in an entirely retooled bullpen, Miguel Batista did not. The 17-year veteran, who began last season with the World Series champion Cardinals, said, I was very excited about this group and this team. Last year I was excited about St. Louis and told (former manager) Tony (La Russa) about it. But I might have been even more excited about this group, even though people around us were not.

He has good reason for excitement now. The Mets relief corps keeps delivering. Batista relieved starter Mike Pelfrey in the sixth with two on and two out and got an inning -ending strikeout. When he issued a pair of walks to start the next inning, Ramon Ramirez entered and got out of it unscathed, getting an inning-ending double play. Jon Rauch didnt allow a hit in the eighth and ninth.

We are there for each other and pick each other up, Ramirez said. We believe in each other. . . . Thats what makes us a good group.

The bullpen totaled 3-1/3 scoreless innings and has allowed one run over 13 1 / 3 this season with three saves in three chances (all by Frank Francisco). After last years relievers pitched to a 4.33 ERA that ranked 28th of 30 teams, this one has a 0.68 ERA in the first four games.

0-FOR-SEASON
Ike Davis, who went 0-for-4 and now is 0-for-15 on the season, will have Tuesday off, Terry Collins said. The first baseman, who has been diagnosed with a case of Valley Fever but said he feels none of the fatigue generally associated with it, will go for a regularly scheduled follow-up appointment Tuesday.

In addressing his season-opening slump, Davis said, The good part about it is I havent affected the team. ... All I can do now is play good defense. He did that in the ninth after a leadoff walk, turning Ian Desmonds sacrifice bunt attempt into a force out at second base.

HOME-COOKIN
The Mets employed a starting lineup unlike any theyd used in 22 seasons. It had eight players cultivated in the clubs minor league system, the first time since 1990 that the Mets had eight of nine organizational products in their lineup excluding September games that often include several minor-league call-ups.

The Mets sho uld be pretty proud of this lineup tonight, Collins said. I think its great. I think its a tribute to the scouting system and the player development system to get homegrown players to the big leagues. . . This organization was ridiculed for not having a very good minor-league system. Well, were going to run a pretty good lineup out there tonight.

PELF TURNS WITH CURVE
Pelfrey gave up 10 hits over 5-2/3 innings and many were hit hard, but down 3-0, he introduced the Nationals to his curveball during his last three innings with some success. He finished with a career-high-tying eight strikeouts.

I know I got in a little trouble early we got down 3-0 and I was like, Cmon man, lets keep it going. I tried to stay in the game as long as I could, he said.