Jon Niese makes more deliveries in awful weather than the post office.
Rain, cold and gloom of night certainly weren’t going to keep the left-hander from giving the Mets a chance on Tuesday.
“It seems like the more I pitch in cold weather, the more I figure out how to stay warm,” Niese said after firing seven strong innings in the Mets’ 6-1 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
It came six days after Niese battled high winds at Citi Field in handling the Cardinals. This time he allowed one run on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts over seven innings for a second straight win.
The Mets (15-11), who moved four games above .500 for the first time since July 14, 2012, have 15 victories in April for the first time since 2007.
With a steady rain falling for most of the game on a 46-degree night, the Mets pounded Cole Hamels and then let Niese and the bullpen finish the job. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jose Valverde each pitched a scoreless inning behind Niese (2-2).
“When you see the likes of Hamels or Michael Wacha last week and pitching in that tough weather and Jon just keeps cruising along, you’ve got to be pretty impressed the way he’s gone about it,” manager Terry Collins said.
The victory was Niese’s seventh against the Phillies — his most against any opponent. It was also the third straight start in which Niese lasted at least six innings and allowed one run. - See more at: http://www.fancyjersey.com
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