MANHATTAN — The Mets season took a turn for the worse Sunday when starter Jonathon Niese left the game early with a leg injury in the team's 10-8 loss to the Florida Marlins on Sunday.
The Mets committed two errors that led to four unearned runs and a fast 6-0 deficit by the third inning.
To make matters worse, Niese's promising season took a hit when the tall left-hander was forced to leave the game after two innings with an injured right hamstring. The 23-year-old southpaw required season-ending surgery on the same hamstring back on Aug. 6.
“It was more a scare than anything,” Niese told the Associated Press. “I’m feeling a little sore now, nothing major. I don’t want to miss a start. I’ll do whatever I can, but that being said, I have to listen to the doctors.”
Niese (1-2) had been pitching well of late for New York. He'd given up three earned runs or less in five of his eight starts this season.
Niese was touched up for five runs, just two earned, in two innings against the Marlins Sunday.
New York's loss upped their losing streak to five games, dropping them six games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
David Wright and Alex Cora had two-run doubles for the Mets, who are off to an 0-4 start on their eight game road trip.
New York's road trip continues Monday with the first of two games against the Atlanta Braves. The Mets will start righty Mike Pelfrey (4-1) against Atlanta on Monday. Pelfrey is 1-2 with an 8.41 ERA in four career games at Turner Field. Derek Lowe (5-3) will start for the Braves.
