NIESE NO LOCK FOR NO. 5 SPOT
PORT ST. LUCIE – The Mets’ No. 5-starter situation didn’t get any clearer yesterday at Disney World, thanks to another mostly unimpressive outing by Jonathon Niese.
The young left-hander got off to a slow start against the Braves and gave up two runs and three walks in four innings of an eventual 5-1 loss. Niese allowed only two hits, although one was a two-run homer by Josh Anderson in the second inning.
Jerry Manuel last night identified March 24 as a key date in the No. 5 race.
“I don’t know if we’ll decide by that time, but that’s when the evaluation will probably step up a notch,” he said.
Niese struck out three and settled down after Anderson’s homer, but he is sporting a 6.75 ERA to go with his 0-2 record this spring.
With the Mets continuing to insist they aren’t interested in Pedro Martinez, the fifth-starter job remains a competition between Niese, Livan Hernandez and Freddy Garcia.
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Don’t be surprised if hard-throwing right-hander Bobby Parnell starts the season as Manuel’s No. 1 choice – even against lefties – in the seventh inning.
Parnell threw another impressive scoreless inning yesterday against the Braves and has allowed just one hit in his past 4″ innings combined this spring.
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Ryan Church hit his first homer of the spring yesterday at Disney and is batting .316 overall.
Reliever Rocky Cherry, a Rule 5 pick from the Orioles, is in limbo after the Mets offered him back to Baltimore following waivers but had their offer rejected by the O’s despite the mere $25,000 price tag.
