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Davis makes debut in Mets' 6-1 win over Cubs

Apr 20, 2010 - 3:59 AM By HOWIE RUMBERG AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK(AP) -- A little more than seven hours after he put on his Buffalo Bisons jersey, Ike Davis stood on first base at Citi Field in a New York Mets uniform holding the ball from his first big league hit.

What a day.

Called from Triple-A at around noon to help the slumping Mets, the top prospect had two hits and an RBI in his debut, a 6-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

"It's great, especially being up here and getting a win, it's awesome," said Davis, who was welcomed after the game with a shaving-cream pie in the face. "I'm going to sleep well tonight. Maybe not. Who knows, I might be too excited."

Angel Pagan hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning for New York's first extra-base hit since Friday and Jonathon Niese allowed an unearned run in 5 2-3 innings as the Mets began a 10-game homestand after a 2-4 road trip.

Davis began his day by arriving at the Bisons park at 9:15 a.m. and was preparing for his minor league game. He received several congratulations texts before he even knew he was being called up.

With too little time to invite his dad, former Yankees reliever Ron Davis, to the game, Davis arrived at Citi Field just as batting practice was starting. He then singled in the second inning, his first at-bat.

Mets first base coach Razor Shines retrieved the ball from right field and flipped it to Davis, who quickly gave it back.

"He said, 'You make it look easy. It ain't easy,' Davis said. I said, 'I know."'

For at least a night Davis lived up to the hype that started in spring training where he hit .480.

"He didn't appear fazed. He seemed to be totally under control. Cool," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "Just seemed like one of the guys."

After his single in the second, Davis flied out to left in the fifth and then amazed Manuel with a deep drive to right-center in the sixth.

"It was a young man thinking the game was on the line, 'Let me see if I could do some damage here,' and he took a shot," Manuel said. "I thought that was impressive."

He added an RBI single in the seventh, following slumping Jason Bay's RBI double.

The Cubs, who lost two in a row to Houston over the weekend, shuffled their lineup against the left-handed Niese, moving Marlon Byrd into the leadoff spot and dropping Ryan Theriot to eighth. Xavier Nady and Aramis Ramirez swapped spots with Nady batting fourth, and Geovany Soto moved up to seventh.

"The last three games we played have been the same story," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "We don't score runs and then the bullpen" failed.

The Cubs have scored six runs in their last three games.

Fernando Nieve (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win after.

Chicago's Randy Wells - who singled twice - allowed a run, too, but the Mets rallied against the Cubs' bullpen.

Jose Reyes, who did not start and was in an 0 for 17 slump and hitting .154 since returning to lineup on April 10 after sitting several weeks because of a hyperactive thyroid, was hit by a pitch from James Russell (0-1) to start the seventh.

Gary Matthews Jr. struck out after failing to sacrifice Reyes over before Pagan homered several rows into the seats in left-center for the Mets' first extra-base hit since Matthews doubled in the ninth inning Friday night at St. Louis.

The drought included New York's 20-inning win Saturday.

Bay added an RBI double and after Jeff Francoeur reached on an error by third baseman Ramirez, Davis made it 5-1 Mets.

Davis will take over at first base for Mike Jacobs, who was designated for assignment Sunday, while Daniel Murphy recovers from a sprained knee.

Byrd appeared comfortable in the top spot. He had three hits, driving in run in the sixth that tied it at 1. He was hit in the helmet with a pitch in the ninth by Jenrry Meija but quickly picked up his helmet and ran to first.

"He tried to throw a changeup," Byrd said. "If it was a fastball, I wouldn't have gotten up."

After Niese worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, Luis Castillo chopped an RBI single over Wells' head for a 1-0 lead in the bottom half.

"It was good to see him make adjustments," Manuel said of Niese. "He battled through some tough situations. He seemed confident being in those spots."

NOTES: Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly was scheduled to make his second minor-league rehab start. He could return to the Cubs rotation this weekend against Milwaukee. ... The Mets celebrated Jackie Robinson Day because they were on the road April 15, the anniversary of the Brooklyn Hall of Famer's breaking baseball's color barrier. Both teams wore Robinson's No. 42.