Kirk Nieuwenhuis relieved after picking up first hit
Kirk Nieuwenhuis #9 of the New York Mets follows through on a fourth inning infield single against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. (April 7, 2012) Credit: Jim McIsaac
With his first major-league hit out of the way, Kirk Nieuwenhuis was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
"I wish it would have been a little harder, but hey, I'm taking that every single day," he said of his infield single in the fourth inning off Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens.
Nerves certainly were a factor early on, said Nieuwenhuis, who struck out on three pitches in his first at-bat in his major-league debut. "But after I got the first one out of the way, it was a little bit easier to relax," he said after hustling down the line and beating the throw from Atlanta shortstop Tyler Pastornicky to get his first hit.
Nieuwenhuis, who went 2-for-4, was called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday after centerfielder Andres Torres was put on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf, an injury suffered in the Mets' Opening Day win over Atlanta on Thursday at Citi Field.
As for his keepsake from Saturday's game, Nieuwenhuis said with a smile: "It's awfully dirty from all the hops it took."
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