"If I could go back in a time machine, I'd probably throw him curveballs," said Niese, who tried one too many times to get a fastball by Anderson, surrendered a double instead and saw his starting assignment in the Mets' 12-inning, 8-7 loss to the Braves end with two out in the fifth. "It was one of those things where I had it in my mind he was sitting on my curveball, and even if I do throw my curveball, if I execute the pitch, I don't think he'd be able to hit it."

After Niese worked those 4 2/3 innings, in which he was banged around for seven hits and five earned runs - with five strikeouts - he was optioned back to Buffalo as the Mets recalled Nelson Figueroa. Niese wasn't nearly as effective as in his first start - two earned runs in a six-inning no-decision against Pittsburgh. But it could have been worse. It could have been Ollie Perez-like.

"He appeared to have pretty good stuff," said manager Jerry Manuel. "I thought he showed a good changeup. I thought he showed a good breaking ball, but maybe the sequences just weren't right and they put some good swings on them."

The two swings that Niese regretted most were Anderson's fastball double - the left fielder's third hit against him - and another double earlier in the inning by Omar Infante off a curve. But he hung it with a "Please hit hard" sign on it.

"Those two walks to [Yunel] Escobar kind of hurt me too," Niese said.

No argument. Escobar walked in the first and scored on a Chipper Jones double and walked in the third and scored on an Anderson single.

"I felt good. That wasn't an issue. Basically, when it came down to it, my go-to pitches, my put-away pitches, I didn't execute," Niese said. "I thought after the game I probably should have used it [curveball] more, but hindsight is 20/20. . . . I left my curveball hanging to Infante and then didn't throw one to Garret Anderson."