More on the Mets series

If the season ended today, the Brewers and Mets would be meeting each other. Of course, if yesterday's game is an indication, it could be a rough series.

Tonight's starting pitcher for the Mets is their top prospect. Welcome to the bigs kid. Don't F it up!

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Mets:</b> In the absence of John Maine, who hit the disabled list last week with a bone spur in his right shoulder, the Mets will turn to their top pitching prospect, Niese. Relying on his signature 12-to-6 curveball, Niese posted an 11-8 record and a 3.13 ERA between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A New Orleans this season -- and after joining the Zephyrs, he lost only once in seven starts. Technically, Niese will be starting on short rest, having pitched on Friday night in New Orleans. But he threw only 65 pitches in that outing, meaning he should be fresh for his Major League debut.

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When he scored the last Mets run, Carlos Beltran collided with the home plate umpire. He felt a pinch in his knee and now could be out.

The <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080901&amp;content_id=3400987&amp;vkey=news_nym&amp;fext=.jsp&amp;c_id=nym">Mets MLB article</a> is here and I'd love it if people could read it and tell me how they think the writing compares.

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Lastly, Brewers "game notes" style tidbits:

<b>Tidbits</b>

The Brewers popped to 24 games over .500 for the first time since 10/2/92 and have not been over 25 games since the '82 season, which was also their last trip to the postseason. Mike Cameron (.390, nine home runs, 22 RBIs, eight stolen bases) earned the Brewers Player of the Month plaudit for August. CC Sabathia (5-0, 1.12 ERA) was the easy choice for Pitcher of the Month. ... The Brewers went 20-7 in August, the best record in the National League. It was the seventh time in franchise history that the team had 20 wins or more in a month, but the first time since going 20-7 in September of 2002. ... Sabathia is only the second pitcher in 90 seasons to win his first nine decisions after a mid-season team change. Doyle Alexander went 9-0 after joining the Tigers from the Braves in 1987.