Mets vs. Brewers Preview, Lineups, And Broadcast Info: Game #144 — Jonathon Niese vs. Mike Fiers

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Brewers
Date: Friday, September 14, 2012 • 8:10 p.m
Location: Miller Park • Milwaukee, WI
Starters: LHP Jonathon Niese (10-9, 3.47) vs. RHP Mike Fiers (9-7, 3.05)
TV/Radio: SNY • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #144 • Road Game #73

Lineup

Ruben Tejada - SS
Daniel Murphy - 2B
David Wright - 3B
Ike Davis - 1B
Lucs Duda - LF
Jordany Valdespin - RF
Andres Torres - CF
Josh Thole - C
Jonathon Niese - LHP

METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets have lost six straight games dating back to September 7, equaling their season-high…The club has lost six straight games three previous times this season, last, August 19-24 ...The club has lost eight of its last nine games...The Mets are 19-38 (15-17 on the road) since the All-Star break...New York is 17-29 in the first game of a series this year, including 9-14 on the road.

.500: The Mets are a season-high 13 games under .500…The last time the team was 13 or more games under .500 was the final game of the 2009 season (70-92).

ON THE ROAD: The Mets are 34-37 on the road this year after going 43-38 away from Citi Field in 2011...David Wright is third in the National League with a .331 road batting average.

HIT COUNTDOWN: David Wright went 2-4 on Wednesday vs. Washington...He has 1,409 career hits, NINE shy of tying Ed Kranepool for the most in franchise history...Kranepool played in 1,853 games... Wright’s has played in 1,244 career contests...Three active players lead their current club’s all-time hit list...The Yankees’ Derek Jeter (3,283 hits), Colorado’s Todd Helton (2,420) and Texas’ Michael Young (2,207).

WRIGHT RANKINGS: David Wright is fifth in the majors with a .401 on-base percentage, tied for seventh with 38 doubles and is fifth in the National League with a .314 batting average...He ranks second in the NL with 76 walks...Wright leads the National League with 16 intentional walks...He is fifth in the NL with a .312 batting average vs. righties.

WRIGHT HITTING STREAK: David Wright has hit in seven straight games, going 10-28 (.357).

PINCH-HIT HOME RUNS: The Mets have 10 pinch-hit home runs this year, tied for the major league lead with Colorado and the third-highest single-season total in club history…The 1997 squad had 11 pinch-hit home runs and the 1983 team hit a franchise-high 12…The Mets lead the majors with 40 pinch-hit RBI.

RISP TALE OF TWO HALVES: The Mets are hitting .201 (88-438) with runners in scoring position since the All-Star break…In the first half, the team hit .269 (199-739) with RISP...Overall, the Mets are hitting .245 with RISP on the season, ranking 21st in the majors...The Mets are hitting .256 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the fourth-highest average in the majors...The club hit .285 with RISP and two outs in the first half.

TWO-OUT RUNS: The Mets have scored 67 two-out runs in 58 games (1.15 runs per game) in the second half this season after leading the majors with 187 two-out runs in the first half (86 games - 2.17 runs per game)...Overall, New York is 10th in the majors with 254 two-out runs.

IN THE FIELD: Since the All-Star break, the Mets have the fifth-best fielding percentage (.985) in the National League...Overall, New York ranks 12th in the NL with a .982 fielding percentage...David Wright has played a career-high 37 consecutive games without making an error.

MATT HARVEY NOTES: Became the third pitcher in Mets history to strike out at least 10 hitters, but pitch no more than 5.0 innings in a game on Wednesday vs. Washington...The other two were Sid Fernandez in 1986 and Oliver Perez in 2006...Harvey’s 63 strikeouts are third-most in Mets history for a pitcher within the first nine games of his career.

JONATHON NIESE: Has not walked more than two batters in any of his last 17 starts while pitching 6.0 innings or more...That stretch is the longest in team history...The previous best was Pedro Martinez (12 such straight starts in 2005)...Niese is tied for 12th in the NL with 19 quality starts...He is one win shy of tying his career-high (11) set last year.

R.A. DICKEY: Leads the National League with a 2.68 ERA and is tied for second in the majors with 18 wins, one behind Gio Gonzalez...Dickey is tied for second in the NL and tied for fifth in the majors with 197 strikeouts...Dickey also leads the NL in complete games (five) and shutouts (three), the most by a Mets pitcher since David Cone had five in 1992...Dickey is second in the NL in innings pitched and became the first Mets pitcher since Tom Glavine (2004-2005) to toss over 200 innings in consecutive seasons...Dickey is fourth in the majors with a 1.04 WHIP and third in the NL with a .224 batting average against.

BRANCH RICKEY AWARD WINNER: R.A. Dickey was named the 2012 Branch Rickey Award recipient yesterday...He will be presented with his award on November 10 in Denver...Created by the Rotary Club of Denver in 1991, the Branch Rickey Award honors individuals in baseball who contribute unselfishly to their communities and who are strong role models for young people...Each year, the Major League Baseball teams nominate one player from their team for this nationally acclaimed award...All of the nominees personify Rotary International’s motto, “Service Above Self.”..Dickey was chosen by a National Selection Committee, comprised of 350 members of the sports media, past award winners, baseball executives and Rotary district governors.

2013 SCHEDULE: The Mets will begin the 2013 season at home vs. the San Diego Padres on April 1 at 1:10 p.m...The opening homestand continues Wednesday, April 3 and Thursday, April 4 with games against the Padres followed by a three-game series with the Miami Marlins, April 5-7...The Mets host the Yankees at Citi Field on Memorial Day, May 27 at 7:10 p.m. and Tuesday, May 28 at 7:10 p.m...The Mets then travel to the Bronx for a two-game series, May 29-30...New York’s remaining Interleague schedule includes games against the American League Central...The Mets will travel to Minnesota, April 12-14, Chicago, June 25- 26 and Cleveland, September 6-8...In addition, the Mets host the White Sox May 7-8, Royals, August 2-4 and Tigers, August 23-25 at Citi Field.

WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL: The 12th Annual Major League Wheelchair Softball Tournament, presented by the Mets, Major League Baseball, NYC Parks and Recreation and the Wheelchair Softball Federation, is being held in Lot A of Citi Field today and tomorrow from 9 a.m.-3 p.m...This is the only ongoing event of its kind in Major League Baseball.

IKE DAVIS CHARITY: Ike Davis helped raise $80,000 last Sunday during his charity event which will benefit Solving Kids’ Cancer and the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative...Davis lost his childhood friend, Mike Lio, to Ewing’s Sarcoma.

LAST START: Received a loss when the Mets fell to the Braves, 3-0, at Citi Field on September 7...Pitched 6.0 innings, allowing one run, earned, five hits, one home run and o ne walk...Struck out two in the 100-pitch outing...Has won double-digit games for the second consecut ive season...Won a career-high 11 games last season.

HOME RUNS: Niese has given up a home run in eight of his last 12 start s, dating to July 3...Has given up a career-high 21 home runs this season, passing last year’s career-high of 20...Gave up a career-high four home runs in his start on May 18 at Toronto.

WALKS: Has allowed 17 walks in his last 17 starts, a span of 115.2 inn ings pitched, dating to June 3...Has walked more than one four times in those 17 starts and has not walked mo re than two...Prior to this stretch, Niese had allowed 18 base-on-balls over a six-start stretch (29 .2 innings pitched) from May 1 to May 28...Niese’s 25.1 innings without a walk marks the longest streak b y a Mets pitcher since 2011, when Mike Pelfrey went 25.0 innings without a base-on-balls from Jun e 2-24.

RARE COMPANY: Niese has issued 10 walks in his last 11 starts and beca me the seventh pitcher in Mets history to throw at least 7.0 innings and not walk a batter in three con secutive starts (July 8-27) in one season...The last major league pitcher to do that was Cliff Lee, wh o did it in four straight starts in June, 2010.

INNINGS PITCHED: Since June 10, Niese has pitched 109.2 innings, spann ing 16 starts, 12th-most in the NL over that time...Has pitched at least 6.0 inn ings in 17 straight starts, dating to June 3 and has gone 7.0 innings in 11 of his last 16 starts...The streak is the longe st for the Mets since R.A. Dickey went 17 straight starts of 6.0 innings or more from July 8, 2011 to April 13, 2012.

SCORELESS STREAK: Had a scoring streak of 14.1 innings snapped on Augu st 24 against the Astros...The streak dated from the third inning against the Braves on August 12t h to the second inning against the Astros on August 24...This was the longest such streak of thi s season and of his career.

SUCCESS VS. LEFTIES: Niese has held left-handed hitters to a .244 batt ing average (31-127) this season, with three home runs and seven walks...Conversely, Niese h as allowed 18 home runs and 35 walks to right-handers....For his career, lefties are hitting . 266 (119-447).

RECENT SUCCESS: In his previous 19 starts dating to May 23, Niese is 8 -7 with a 3.02 ERA (43 earned runs/128.1 innings pitched)...Has a 7.1 K/9 mark and 13 quality starts ov er that stretch...Has compiled a 2.39 ERA (seven earned runs/26.1 innings) over his last four starts d ating to August 18...Has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 20 of his 27 starts this season.

DAY/NIGHT SPLITS: In 11 starts during the day this season, Niese is 4- 2 with a 2.99 ERA (24 earned runs/72.1 innings)...In 16 night starts, the left-hander is 6-7 with a 3. 83 ERA (42 earned runs/98.2 innings)...Niese has allowed 16 of his 21 home runs this season during night games...For his career, Niese has compiled a 13-10 record with a 3.67 ERA (80 earned runs/19 6.0 innings pitched) during the day in 33 starts, compared to his 19-22 mark with a 4.35 ERA (167 earned runs/345.2 innings pitched) at night in 58 starts.

CAREER-HIGH STRIKEOUTS: On June 3 vs St. Louis, Niese established a ne w career-high in strikeouts with 10...His previous high was eight, done four times previous, most recently on June 9, 2011 at Milwaukee...He was the third of the four Mets starters this season to re cord at least one game with double-digit strikeouts.

LAST WIN VS. MILWAUKEE: Won, 4-1, at Miller Park on June 9, 2011... Pitched 7.2 innings and allowed one run, earned, three hits, and four walks... Struck out eight.

LAST LOSS VS. MILWAUKEE: Niese has never been defeated by the Brewers.

CAREER VS. MILWAUKEE: In three career games, all starts, Niese is 1-0 with a 8.10 ERA (12 earned runs/13.1 innings pitched) vs the Brewers.

KEY MATCHUPS:

• Aramis Ramirez - .273 (3-11, HR, 3 RBI, 3 K)
• Rickie Weeks - .500 (4-8, 2B, HR, RBI)
• Alex Gonzalez - .357 (5-14, 2 2B, RBI, 4 K)