Mets 7, Braves 5: Niese Has a Nose for the Game

Niese has a nose for the game, and he also came within a nose of no-hitter. Who nose? A different bounce here or there, and the Mets could have finally had a nose hitter. But no no-nose for the Mets on Sunday.

Which isn't to say that it wasn't a great day. A sweepingly good day.

Jon Niese looked like he has taken some steps forward. He got strikes with his high fastball, whiffs with his curve, and strange, befuddled looks with his LOOGY-esque Mike Myers release point against lefties. He was effectively wild, with four walks against seven strikeouts in seven innings, and had Duda not lost the ball in the lights, this day game would have had a more lopsided score. Still, three earned in six-plus with seven Ks is a good day.

David Wright barely got to the plate officially -- a sac fly, an intentional walk, and a normal walk were how he started the day -- but he did look good doing it. Daniel Murphy doubled twice and one drove in runs. He also muffed a turn at second, but that's to be expected from the former corner guy. Jason Bay even had a hit and a walk! And then he got caught sleeping on the basepaths to squash a rally in the seventh. So, still Jason Bay.

On offense, though, Ruben Tejada gets the game ball. His two doubles had the booth talking Placido Polanco at shortstop and made real the visions of a glovely doubles-and-walks machine, if only for an afternoon. Four hits (for the first time in his career) and a solid approach lead to two runs and two RBI. That's how it's done.

Who nose? 159 more wins to go.