Those Mets

METS SQUASH NATS IN THRILLER
Another dicey situation befell the Mets in the ninth inning Friday, with the tying runs on base and the Nationals full of momentum. Mets fans cringed. And then the 20-year-old shortstop took charge. Subbing for the injured Jose Reyes, Ruben Tejada knifed to his left, sneaking behind Roger Bernadina at second base. He extended his arm and flashed his glove, signaling to his pitcher that the pickoff play was on. And then, after Francisco Rodriguez whirled and fired, Tejada blocked second base with his foot, tagging Bernadina to seal a 5-3 Mets victory. "He really has a good feel and understanding of the game," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said of Tejada. "He's a very instinctive young player." The same could be said for Jon Niese, who fired seven innings of one-run ball in the victory. Or for Ike Davis, who knocked in a run for the Mets. But they are old men compared to Tejada. Their successes have become old hat. For Tejada, big league achievement is still something quite novel -- but perhaps not for long. "I tell you what, for a 20-year-old kid to make that call -- because he made that call -- that's instinct taking over," said second baseman Alex Cora, who broke open the game with a three-run triple in the fourth. "Defensively, he's ahead of a lot of people." He was inches ahead of Bernadina, who reacted late to Rodriguez's throw. But that was enough. More important than Tejada blocking the base, his teammates said, was the element of surprise. "It was a 3-2 count, two outs," Tejada said. "In a situation like that, the runner never thinks [about] a pickoff play with the best pitcher on the mound." Rogriguez also heaped the praise on Tejada. "He [made] a great play, honestly," Rodriguez said. "I would give all the credit to him." Considering the circumstances, it was a critical play, as well. Though the Mets entered the ninth inning with a seemingly comfortable four-run lead, Elmer Dessens, who came into the game unscored upon since May, allowed two of the three men he faced to reach base. That transformed it into a save situation, prompting Manuel to summon his closer. Two hits later, the winning run stepped to the plate. Bernadina edged off second. And Tejada flashed his glove. "He knows how to play, man," Reyes said. "He don't look like he's 20." Nor does Niese look 23. Continuing his development into a remarkably sturdy and efficient -- even dominant, at times -- starting pitcher, Niese needed only four innings to fan a career-high eight. In total, he held the Nats to one run -- a Josh Willingham home run -- on five hits and no walks over seven. It was the Jon Niese the Mets have come to expect. "I think if I'm able to throw all my pitches for strikes," Niese said, "I think I have a good variety that keeps them off-balance." Watching the lefty's start unfold in the dugout, Manuel repeatedly leaned over to ask pitching coach Dan Warthen if Niese was throwing his fastball, cutter or curve. "If that's the case, then he must be getting better each time out," Manuel said. The Nationals agreed. "When we saw him earlier, he was good," Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said. "But he's found something, because he was much tougher tonight than what we had seen in the past." Friday's successes did not simply materialize out of nowhere for Niese. Since returning from the disabled list last month, Niese has produced five quality starts -- all victories -- in six tries. The lone exception came against the Tigers at Citi Field, when he reemerged after an hour-long rain delay and served up six runs. Prior to the delay, Niese had no-hit Detroit for three innings. He has done it by mixing his curveball and cutter more effectively, leaning on the latter pitch perhaps more than ever. If anything, Niese has erred too much in that direction, throwing four cutters in the at-bat against Willingham -- the fourth of which Willingham deposited over the left-field wall. Niese ran into some fortune in the fourth inning, when Cora broke the game open with a three-run triple that, despite clanging off the wall, right fielder Michael Morse perhaps could have caught. As the next batter, Niese, doubled home Cora to give the Mets a 5-1 lead. And the Mets cruised until the ninth, when Tejada took charge. Soon, a decision will come regarding Tejada, with starting second baseman Luis Castillo due back from the disabled list in mid-July. For now, Tejada is making the best case he can to stick around. "He knows how to play," Manuel said. "When you have a player like that, who's instinctive and who's going to do all the right things, you've got to fight for him." (MLB.com)