Coming into Monday's game, the Mets desperately needed to start their season on the high note, given the recent, and horrific news about Johan Santana and his season-ending, and possible career-ending injury. The entire baseball atmosphere was back, and despite the question marks surrounding the team, several fans showed up to the game. The team routed the San Diego Padres by a score of 11-2, making the transition back into baseball a whole lot easier for those in Flushing. Granted, the Mets will lose games, some that may even be heart-breaking, but this team showed energy and intensity that we as fans haven't been able to see for the last few years or so.
The newly formed outfield played extremely well, and were basically the spark plug that got the offense going. Marlon Byrd and Lucas Duda had nice games, but it was Collin Cowgill who really stood out. Cowgill, first of all, hit a ball in the right-center gap that would have been a single for most hitters. However, he really hustled and ended up getting a double out of it.
We heard about Cowgill's gritty style of play, and saw a glimpse of it in Spring Training. However, the power is another aspect to his game that could be an asset. Terry Collins recently said that he will have Cowgill lead off basically because he has all of the attributes that a lead-off hitter should have, and is a threat to hit a home run once in a while. That was evident when he hit a grand-slam in the game -- the first of his career and the first Mets player to hit a grand slam on Opening Day in franchise history. The pop that he has to his bat will hopefully lead to more clutch and timely hits. 
As for Niese, he threw 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing 2 runs and striking out four. After the 6th inning, it appeared as though Collins and Dan Warthen were ready to take him out. However, he begged and pleaded to go back out in the 7th inning, and they let him stay for two more outs. That kind of mental toughness really said a lot about the 24 year old pitcher. It showed that he is, and will be capable of handling big game situations in the future, and that he feels like there is always something better he can do, which isn't necessarily a bad way of thinking.
Lastly, it is worth that Scott Rice made his MLB debut in the 9th inning of this game. Rice, a first round draft pick by the Orioles in the 1999 draft, was a career minor leaguer up to that point. He played with several Independent League teams, including the local Long Island Ducks, but his persistence and dedication allowed him to finally reach the big leagues. He is just yet another great story that has been able to wear a Mets uniform.
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