Jonathon Niese Brilliant, Mets Beat Giants 3-0

After exploding for eight runs on Sunday, the Mets offense reverted back to form Monday night in San Francisco, for eight innings, anyway. But another brilliant pitching performance and some timely ninth inning hitting got the Mets a win.

Jonathon Niese was excellent, throwing eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits. He got into trouble in the sixth, walking two batters to load the bases with two outs. But he was able to get out of it.

The Mets were once again baffled by Chris Heston, the guy who no-hitted them a couple of weeks ago. They blew an opportunity in the eighth, thanks to some poor base running by Juan Lagares. He led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. Curtis Granderson lofted a fly ball to shallow left. It dropped in, but Lagares went back to first to tag up for some reason. He was thrown out at second. Ruben Tejada walked, which chased Heston out of the game. Murphy then hit a grounder to third. Matt Duffy hesitated and lost the double play, settling for the out at first. With runners on second and third with two outs, Wilmer Flores grounded out to end the inning.

But they wouldn’t blow another chance. With the game still scoreless, Michael Cuddyer led off the ninth with a single. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, just back from Vegas, could not get the sacrifice bunt down. Good thing because he then doubled to right to put runners on second and third with no outs. Johnny Monell laced his own double to right to plate two runs to get the Mets on the board with a 2-0 lead. With one out Lagares made up for his bad base running with a single up the middle to score Nieuwenhuis to make it 3-0.

Would-be All-Star (vote here) Jeurys Familia came on for the bottom of the ninth and got the Giants in order, earning his 23rd save.

Niese collects his first win since May 9 as the Mets win 3-0.