It was obvious right from the start of Friday night’s 3-1 loss to the Phillies, that Mets ace Matt Harvey seemed a little off.
Vying for his sixth win of the season, Harvey labored through six innings and was tagged for three runs on six hits and a walk, including a home run by Ryan Howard.
For most pitchers a quality start is nothing to complain about, but for a fierce competitor like Harvey, his first loss of the season wasn’t sitting well with him.
Harvey struggled with his command and couldn’t locate his offspeed pitches with the same precision he’s displayed in his first five starts.
He believes the extra two days of rest knocked him off his game and messed with his routine.
“It’s different,” Harvey told reporters . “We’ve all been going through it. Every single one of us has had an extra day here or there. Dealing with it is something you have to do.”
“I don’t think I did a very good job of that. I think we’re all excited to go back to a five-day rotation. It is what it is.” (ESPN New York)
Harvey took responsibility for the loss even though the offense gave him very little to work with.
“I didn’t hold the runners on all that well tonight,” Harvey said. “And they made some timely hits that scored them some runs. I needed zeroes, and I wasn’t able to do that.”
Adam Rubin points out that with the Mets scheduled to play 20 games in the next 20 days, Harvey and the rest of the rotation should stay on schedule through most of May.
Starting pitchers are creatures of habit, so it’s perfectly understandable that pitching on a week’s rest is going to have some effect when your mind and body are so used to four days of rest.
That said, when you consider that the Mets are planning several more skipped starts and extra days of rest for Harvey this season, I hope he can figure it out and make the necessary adjustments.
Knowing the professional he is, and how focused and committed he is to winning, I have no doubt that Harvey will do just that. That’s what aces do. LGM
