Nieuwenhuis feeling back home with Mets

Kirk Nieuwenhuis's last month has been a whirlwind. Gone from the only professional organization he'd known for the first eight years of his career, he was only away briefly. Now back with the Mets, he's trying to slow things down and appreciate every game, especially big ones like Friday.

In his third game back in the New York system, Nieuwenhuis blasted two homers and matched a career high with six RBIs on a 3-for-5 night, leading Triple-A Las Vegas to an 11-5 road win over Fresno.

After hitting .079 in 27 at-bats at the Major League level to start the year, mostly as a pinch hitter, Nieuwenhuis was designated for assignment by the Mets on May 19. The 2008 third-round pick went to the Angels in a May 27 trade, but just two weeks later, he was again designated for assignment. Once more, the Mets came calling and claimed him on June 13.

"It was interesting, to say the least," Nieuwenhuis said. "It's been a roller coaster, for sure. Baseball can do that to you, and I think that it's helped me kind of prioritize some stuff in my life and to see where baseball is in that. I really thought that it was kind of secondary, but I was finding a little too much joy in it, relying on it a little too much for happiness. I think it really put baseball into perspective a little bit for me."

Nieuwenhuis saw action in 10 games in the outfield for the Angels but didn't fare much better, batting .136. Now back in familiar surroundings in the Pacific Coast League, where he played 57 games last year, he looks reborn.

After debuting with a 2-for-4 night for the 51s on Tuesday, Nieuwenhuis went 2-for-4 with a triple and homer on Thursday at Fresno. He was even better Friday.

With two men aboard in the fourth, the Azusa Pacific product belted a homer to right field to give his team its first lead of the night.

"I swung at a bad pitch early and just kind of tried to grind out the rest of the at-bat. I was able to work it to 3-2, and [Fresno starter Mike Hauschild] left a breaking ball a little bit up," he said. "I was able to put a good enough swing on it."

An inning later, he did it again, mashing another three-run shot to right to give Las Vegas a 6-1 cushion.

"It's been a pretty good few days," Nieuwenhuis said. "I'm just seeing the ball well right now. It's been a heck of a month for me, to be honest with you. I'm just trying to get my feet on the ground, so it's nice to enjoy some success because I've had a tough year."

Nieuwenhuis has seven hits, including five for extra bases, in his first 13 at-bats back with Las Vegas for a .538 average. The six-RBI night matched the career best effort Nieuwenhuis put up on June 5, 2010 with Double-A Binghamton.

"It's definitely nice to have a night like that after the month that I've had and after the season that I've had so far," he said. "It's just been a weird season. Obviously, I've been struggling to find it at the plate a little bit, pinch hits and all that stuff. It's just been more of a weird year than anything, so it's nice to have some success tonight."

Las Vegas felt that success throughout the lineup. The 51s pounded out 16 hits, including four from leadoff man Danny Muno and three from catcher Johnny Monell, who also homered and drove in four runs.

Nieuwenhuis put the final touch on his night with a single to right field in the seventh, a moment that may feel common to many others but carries new significance to the outfielder.

"It puts new meaning to the phrase 'take it one day at a time,'" he said, "because really, that's what I've had to do with everything that's gone on."