Matt Harvey and pitching coach Dan Warthen spent Thursday watching film and working together trying to find the root of the problem plaguing the Mets right-hander over his last four starts.
Warthen told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post that progress was made and two of them identified the problem.
“Harvey was landing too soon on his front foot so his arm was not in proper position. Harvey was pushing the ball a bit instead of throwing it. As a result, pitches were up and Harvey did not have the same late movement. It’s about getting the arm, and the head, in the proper position.”
General manager Sandy Alderson said he hopes that the new adjustments will get Harvey back on track and said this was all part of the process of returning from Tommy John surgery.
“I think we have to be realistic about what he’s gone through over the last year and a half. Still in the process of finding out what Matt is going to be able to do over the course of the season.”
Manager Terry Collins knows he needs Harvey if this team is to have any chance.
“We’ve got to get our pitching going, that’s what we were all about when we started.”
“He hasn’t been in the best of moods these days,” Collins. “I just want him to be the Matt Harvey he was.”
June 11
Matt Harvey had one of the worst games of his career during last night’s loss to the Giants at Citi Field. He allowed a career high tying seven runs and nine hits – including three home runs – while striking out only two in six innings pitched.
The only other time Harvey gave up seven or more runs was just last month against Pittsburgh on May 23rd, just three starts ago.
Despite the poor outing, Harvey didn’t make any excuses and said that his struggles are not due to injury or a Tommy John hangover or fatigue. (Mike Vorkunov, NJ.com)
“I just have to be better. There’s no excuses to be made. It’s my job to put up zeroes and I’m not doing that very well.”
The main problem for Harvey of late is that he is being hammered by the long ball. He has allowed eight home runs over his last four starts (25.0 IP) and now has given up a 12 home runs in 79.2 innings this year after allowing just seven home runs in 178.1 innings in 2013.
“It was just a terrible performance. The last couple of starts have been extremely bad.”
A 2013 All Star, Harvey has now allowed multiple home runs in three of his last four outings and four of his 11 starts since April 14.
Nine of his 12 home runs have come from lefthanded batters this year after allowing just two home runs in 321 at-bats to lefthanders in 2013.
This rough stretch has inflated Harvey’s ERA to 3.62 on the season, and it has dropped his record down to 6-4.
“Everything was all over the place,” Harvey said. “I’m not putting people away when I need to. I’m not keeping people off base when I need to and obviously I’m not keeping the ball in the yard when I need to.”
Mets manager Terry Collins felt Harvey was leaving too many fastballs over the middle of the plate, especially during two-strike counts.
“It’s not just about having great stuff,” Collins said. “It’s making great pitches.”
Additionally, Harvey’s two strikeouts yesterday was the lowest total of his MLB tenure. This ends the streak of 47 consecutive starts with three or more strikeouts to begin his career, which is a mark that has only been surpassed by Yu Darvish and Mark Prior.
Harvey says he’s determined to turn his fortunes around in his next outing, and he will likely face a tough challenge with Jose Bautista and the dangerous Blue Jays lineup coming into Citi Field early next week.
