May 23
LHP Jon Niese met earlier this week with pitching coach Dan Warthen, bullpen coach Ricky Bones and fellow starters Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey to try to diagnose his problems. The meeting must have paid off, as he delivered 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball Wednesday in a 3-1 win over the Pirates.
The group determined that Niese needed to study hitters more thoroughly, learning to adjust on the fly when necessary. Consider Wednesday a significant step in that direction. Niese thrived in large part because he determined early in the game that the Pirates were struggling to hit his cutter-sinker combination, so he continued throwing those at the expense of his curveball.
May 23
Niese rebounded from a his worst start of the season to give up just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out five in 7.2 innings to get the win Wednesday against Pittsburgh.
Recommendation: This was Niese's longest outing since August 11, 2011 against San Diego. He next faces St. Louis at home in what should be a two-start week.
May 19
Niese, who is winless in five starts, worked three innings and matched a career-worst by allowing eight runs in Friday's 14-5 loss to Toronto.
Advice: He also set a new low by surrendering three homers among his eight hits. Niese, who fell to 0-2 with a 9.53 ERA in four night starts, walked two and struck out six.
