It looked like Bartolo Colon was indeed the right choice for Opening day with his gem on Monday. And Matt Harvey was confident too.
Bartolo’s got that covered,” Harvey said.
Harvey actually predicted months ago that the Mets would win on Opening Day. And Colon made him look smart today.
Colon was phenomenal. Going against $210 million man, Max Scherzer, Colon went 6 strong innings, allowing only 1 run, 1 walk and racking up 8 Ks. His only mistake was the Bryce Harper solo homer he gave up.
The veteran right-hander also made his manager Terry Collins look smart as well. Collins was ripped for his decision to go with Colon by many fans as well as mainstream media like WFAN and SNY.
“The guy who pitches Opening Day earned that start,” Collins told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.
“We like our pitching staff. Max Scherzer earned Opening Day for Washington, and they have a great pitching staff. But Bartolo earned the right.”
“It came down to two guys, deGrom or Bartolo, and I said, ‘You know what, let’s go with Bart — 200 innings, 15 wins. Cripes, he deserves it.’ He was the right man for the job.”
Colon is now 5-1 with a 2.62 ERA in 7 Opening Day starts for his career.
“Every game is the same,” Colon said through an interpreter. “But it was great to get off to a good start.”
“It’s always an honor to start on opening day. I think we’ve got a chance to have a great season and I want to do my part.”
Colon was loose three hours before the game joking around with his teammates. His goal is to win and show the young pitchers how to compete day in and day out.
“Bartolo is amazing,” said catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who helped Colon’s cause with 2 hits including an RBI triple.
“He’s a great teammate, keeps the clubhouse loose, but most of all he knows how to pitch, and he’s a great influence for all the younger guys, including myself. He stays calm. That is so important for us to see.”
With Colon getting the Opening Day win for the Mets, it puts the Mets in good position to take the series with top arms Jacob deGrom going Wednesday followed by Matt Harvey in the finale against the Nats, who will counter with Jordan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg.
But the big story on the first day of a new season was that Bartolo Colon got it done, just like Harvey predicted.
