LHP Jonathon Niese couldn't make it out of the fifth inning Tuesday night at Seattle, even though he retired the first two batters of the frame. Niese gave up a walk and four hits with two outs in the fifth, with the big blow coming on a Nelson Cruz two-run homer. Niese gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings.

LHP Jon Niese started strong Thursday, but lacked consistently as the game went along. Niese retired San Francisco's first six batters without allowing a ball out of the infield. His third inning was his undoing, with four runs surrendered, but he rebounded by allowing one hit the following two innings. Niese gave up a home run in the sixth inning before being replaced by right-hander A.J. Schugel.

LHP Jonathon Niese (6-4) drew the loss Saturday after allowing four earned runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Niese walked four and struck out five. He gave up three home runs, which matched a season high. "He executed the game plan very well outside of three pitches," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

LHP Jonathon Niese makes his 14th start of the season in Saturday's middle game of the series with the Cubs. He allowed a season-high eight runs in 5 1/3 innings in the Pirates' 8-3 loss to St. Louis last Sunday. He's 3-7 against Chicago with a 5.23 ERA in 11 career appearances. Niese is 0-1 in one start this season, allowing six runs in a 7-1 decision against Jake Arrieta on May 3 at PNC Park.

LHP Jonathan Niese had been 3-0 in his previous five starts, but didn't have a good outing. He allowed eight runs on 11 hits, two of them homers, in 5 1/3 innings. One bright spot was his five strikeouts and just one walk.

LHP Jonathon Niese shut out the Mets, his former team, on four hits over seven innings in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday -- his first start against them. Niese has won his last three decisions. He's also the last Mets pitcher to beat the Pirates, during the 2014 season. The Pirates have won their last nine against New York.

LHP Jonathon Niese induced his former teammates into grounding into 14 ground ball outs in the first game.

LHP Jon Niese got a no-decision on Wednesday against Miami. He allowed six hits, three walks and two runs in five innings. He struck out six and remains 5-0 in his past 10 starts against the Marlins.

LHP Jon Niese will start against the Marlins on Wednesday. In his career against the Marlins, Niese is 6-5 with a 4.18 ERA in 18 starts, all with the New York Mets. Lately, though, Niese has been a Marlins-killer. He has gone 5-0 with a 3.74 ERA in his last nine starts against the Marlins. In five career starts at Marlins Park, he is 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA. Overall this year, Niese, 29, is 5-2 with a 4.42 ERA. He has benefitted from strong run support -- an average of 6.71 runs per game.

LHP Jonathan Niese is now 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his last four starts. In that span he's lowered his ERA from 5.94 to 4.42 and he's now 2-0 in his two career starts in Arlington. "I've been working hard between games, and it's been showing in games," Niese said. "I know I have it in me, but in my sides in between games I was able to work on the mechanical part of it. I made the adjustments, and it's been paying off in the games."

LHP Jonathon Niese is 3-3 with a 5.64 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rockies, but didn't get the decision in a 9-8, 12-inning Pirates win at Coors Field on April 27. He gave up five runs in five innings. He starts Saturday against Colorado.

LHP Jon Niese (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings for the win Monday against Atlanta. He had six strikeouts and two walks. It was just Niese's third quality start in eight outings this season, though the Pirates are 6-2 in the games he has pitched. He improved his career record against the Braves to 10-6.

LHP Jonathon Niese (3-2, 5.63 ERA) makes his eighth start of the season on Monday when the Pirates open a 10-game homestead. He gave up three solo home runs in his 6 2/3 inning start last Monday in the Pirates 3-2 loss at Cincinnati. Niese is 9-6 lifetime with a 3.08 ERA in 22 career starts against the Braves.

LHP Jonathan Niese was a victim of the long-ball on Monday night, allowing three homers -- including one by Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart who hadn't homered in 270 at-bats. Niese pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits total. Niese, who was facing the Reds for the first time this season, hit a batter and allowed a homer and a single in the first, but a double-play grounder prevented further damage. "There are too many positives on this outing to dwell on the negative ones," he said. "I was a lot more crisp, a lot more relaxed on the mound."

LHP Jonathon Niese gets the call Monday night when Pittsburgh starts a three-game series in Cincinnati. Niese is coming off his first loss with the Pirates, getting torched for six runs in five innings of a 7-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs Tuesday night. He is 2-4 with a 4.06 ERA in seven starts against the Reds, but hasn't pitched against them since April 6, 2014, absorbing a 2-1 loss.

LHP Jon Niese took his first loss of the season, falling to 3-1 as he gave up six runs and nine hits in five innings with five walks and three strikeouts. Niese's ERA rose to 5.94 and he allowed at least four runs for the fifth time in six starts this season. However, he was 3-0 for the first time in his nine-year career thanks in large part to getting 8.89 runs of support for nine innings."He wasn't able to get the ball where he needed to get the ball," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

LHP Jon Niese will start Tuesday night against the Chicago Cubs. He is 3-0 for the first time in his nine-year career. However, Niese is 3-6 with a 4.76 ERA against the Cubs in 10 lifetime starts.

LHP Jon Niese, who starts Friday in Arizona, is primed to go deeper in games, according to manager Clint Hurdle. Niese went 96 pitches Sunday against Milwaukee while throwing seven scoreless innings. "I think Niese is earning his way," Hurdle said. "We've seen him, he's done it, he's got some experience. He was happy with the volume pick-up because last year he had been shortened up in his starts. We're trying to actually give him the opportunity to stretch back out as far as number of pitches."

LHP Jon Niese won his second start, working seven innings.He allowed all three Brewers' hits as he combined with LHP Tony Watson and RHP Mark Melancon on a shutout after the Pirates had given up 30 runs while losing their previous four games. Acquired from the New York Mets in an offseason trade, the left-hander also notched a win Monday at Detroit and got 12 of his 18 outs on ground balls Saturday."It was a matter of pounding the strike zone, following the game plan and getting good defense," Niese said. "I can't say enough about the guys behind me. They made all the plays."

LHP Jon Niese (1-0, 5.73) will make his third start of the season Saturday night against Milwaukee. Acquired from the New York Mets in an offseason trade, Niese notched his first win with the Pirates on Monday against the Tigers at Detroit when he allowed four runs -- three earned -- in six innings. He is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in eight career starts against the Brewers.