A day after the Mets rewarded Jon Niese with a five-year, $25 million contract, he rewarded them by taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
And by the time their young homegrown core — Niese, Daniel Murphy, Ruben Tejada — had led a 7-5 win over Atlanta, the Mets had opened the season with a sweep of the Braves.
Niese (1-0) retired 15 in a row before walking Dan Uggla on a 10-pitch at-bat to lead off the seventh, and seeing Freddie Freeman single on his next pitch — his 99th of the game — to right. Lucas Duda lost a ball in the sun to open up the gates for a four-run inning, but it could hardly dampen the Mets’ hot start.
Christopher Pasatieri
WRIGHT ON: David Wright hits a sacrifice fly in the first inning of the Mets’ 7-5 win over the Braves yesterday, completing a three-game sweep and keeping the Amazin’s in first place in the NL East.
METS BOX SCORE
Despite an offseason filled with negativity — from Ponzi scheme lawsuits, a slashed payroll and Jose Reyes-less roster — the Mets opened 3-0 for the first time in five years, and with a three-game sweep of a division foe for the first time ever. Niese’s start, in front of 27,855 fans (109,461 came to the three games) was simply the exclamation point on their statement.
“It was nice, but it spiraled real quick at the end. It would’ve been nice. The seventh inning I just left the ball up and paid for it,’’ said Niese, bidding for the Mets’ first no-hitter in 7,971 games. “I would’ve ran back out there [for the eighth]. It would’ve been hard to take me out.
“The starting pitchers have a friendly competition to outperform each other. That’s a good thing. I’ve said it from the beginning: I think we have a great staff, and a great offense. With all that, we can surprise some people this year.’’
They’ve already surprised many, thanks to a rotation of Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey and Niese that’s 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA. Niese was given an extension Saturday as part of the Mets’ intent to build from within, while home-grown teammates Tejada (career-high four hits, two runs, two RBIs) and Murphy (2-for-5, two runs, RBI) sparked the offense from atop the order.
“This [start] means everything,’’ manager Terry Collins said. “We’ve done a lot of talking about getting ready to compete. I told those guys ... you’re professional players and there are expectations in this town and in this clubhouse, so get yourself ready to play. And they’ve done that; they’ve stepped up.’’
Niese, who saw last year cut short on Aug. 23 by a strained intercostal muscle, got this one off in fine form. In his first start since an offseason nose job, he allowed four runs (two earned) and two hits while striking out seven. His fastball hit 93 mph, and he befuddled the Braves.
“I think he’s more relaxed [with the extension]’’ said Collins. “And he’s a competitive guy so I think he wanted to go out and say ‘Hey, I deserve what I got and I’m going to go out and show everybody I did.’ He certainly did that.’’
Clinging to a 2-0 lead in the fifth, Murphy stroked a two-out, two-RBI double down the third base line to plate Niese and Tejada, and the Mets made it 7-0 the next inning on Scott Hairston’s RBI double and Tejada’s well-struck two-RBI double to left.
The bullpen allowed its first run after 8 1/3 scoreless frames when Manny Acosta coughed up Brian McCann’s homer in the eighth. But Frank Francisco pitched a perfect ninth to become the first Met to save his first three games with the club. The Mets moved to 3-0 as the Yankees fell to 0-3, only the third time that has happened.
“It’s nice to be in the middle of it,’’ said Murphy. “We’re excited; 3-0, man, you can’t draw it up any better than that.’’
brian.lewis@nypost.com
Jon Niese, Niese, Niese, the Mets, the Mets, Daniel Murphy, Mets, Ruben Tejada, inning, inning online
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