Mets 2 - 7 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Niese attempts to get off the schneid in the desert

Jun 5, 2015 - 11:16 AM (SportsNetwork.com) - Jon Niese eyes his first win in almost a month on Friday when the New York Mets continue a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Niese did not get a decision on Saturday against Miami, but was awful, as he allowed five runs (4 earned) and seven hits in four innings of his team's 9-5 loss. He had lost his three previous starts and has just one win in his last seven trips to the hill.

"It's not there," said Niese admitted. "I have to start establishing inside more."

Niese has allowed 23 runs (20 earned) in 20 innings over his past four starts.

"I'm concerned," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I have yet to see him, in my time here, ever pitch and make the number of mistakes he'd made."

Niese is 2-2 in five starts versus the D-backs with a 6.67 ERA.

Heading to the hill for Arizona on Friday will be righty Jeremy Hellickson, who was supposed to go in Thursday's opener, but was pushed back a day due to rookie Archie Bradley's injury.

Hellickson won his second straight start on Saturday in Milwaukee, as he held the Brewers to a pair of runs and five hits in six innings to improve to 3-3 with a 5.08 ERA.

He is a 2-0 record and a 3.37 ERA over his last three outings.

"I'm feeling good," Hellickson said. "The first handful of starts, I'd fall behind in the count and have to throw a fastball and I couldn't command my offspeed early. I've been working on that hard in-between starts. The main thing is just feeling a lot better and keeping the ball down, for the most part."

Hellickson lost his only start to the Mets and was roughed up for eight runs in 3 2/3 innings of that one.

New York drew first blood on Thursday, as John Mayberry Jr. went 4-for-5 with a two- run homer in the Mets' 6-2 win. Kevin Plawecki hit a two-run double during a three-run sixth for the Mets, who snapped a two-game skid.

Matt Harvey (6-3) allowed two runs on six hits with nine strikeouts and one walk over seven innings. The right-hander won for the first time since May 1 against the Nationals.

"It's good to get in there and help the team come out on top. Harvey had a great outing and it's nice to pick him up," Mayberry said.

Paul Goldschmidt and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit solo homers for the Diamondbacks, who went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven.

Robbie Ray made his second start of the season and gave up six hits over five scoreless innings. Newly acquired reliever Dominic Leone (0-1) allowed three runs on four hits in the sixth.

"He was just up in the zone," D-backs manager Chip Hale said of Leone. "He was just leaving his breaking balls up, fastball was up.

The Mets were 4-2 versus the D-backs last season.






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