Mets Sweep Braves; Niese No-Hits Atlanta For 6 Innings

One day after officially inking a 5-year, $25.5 million dollar contract extension, Jonathon Niese (1-0) pitched six innings of no-hit ball, and the New York Mets topped Atlanta 7-5, sweeping the Braves in their season opening series.

Niese had seven strikeouts, three walks and no hits in a stellar first six-innings as New York built a 7-0.

David Wright picked up his third RBI in as many games with a first-inning sacrifice fly to drive in Ruben Tejada and put the Mets ahead 1-0. New York went up 2-0 as Jason Bay picked his first run batted in of the year with a sac-fly of his own in the fourth.

Tejada was 3 for 4 in his second game in the lead-off position, scoring two runs and driving in two more. Daniel Murphy had two hits, two RBI's and a run scored.

But Niese got himself into trouble in the seventh with a walk to Dan Uggla, then he allowed his first hit of the afternoon on a sharp line-drive single by Freddy Freeman. Matt Diaz lifted a pitch out to left that Lucas Duda lost in the sun, allowing Uggla to score and setting up Jason Heyward's two-RBI double that cut the Mets lead to 7-3, forcing Niese from the game. Two of the three runs charged to Niese were earned.

Jack Wilson added a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Brian McCann had a solo-shot in the eight-inning before Frank Francisco worked a perfect ninth-inning to earn his third save of the series.

The Mets open a three-game series with the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on Monday night at 7:10 (NYM: Mike Pelfey, WAS: Edwin Jackson).