Today’s matchup between Matt Harvery and Stephen Strasburg may be one of the most exciting pitching duels of the early season.
It’s a battle of two of the game’s best young starters, and there are plenty of intriguing story lines surrounding the game.
It is Matt Harvey’s long awaited return to the mound, and it also a rematch of memorable game during the 2013 season.
Harvey defeated Strasburg in the Mets 7-1 victory over Washington in April. Harvey struck out 7 while allowing just four hits and one run during 7 innings.
The crowd in Citi Field was electrifying, cheering Harvey on with chants of “Harvey’s better!”
When asked about the start, Harvey says that it makes facing Strasburg again even more special (Mike Vaccaro).
“A good start,” Harvey remembered late Wednesday afternoon, before the Mets would lose a 2-1 pitchers’ duel to the Nationals. “An enjoyable day for me, for a lot of reasons.”
“It makes that matchup going forward even more special,” Harvey said.
“You have to be exited — very excited,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “I bet even [Nats manager] Matt Williams is excited to see it because this in one of the great players in the game.
“If you love the game, you love to watch him, and it’s why the Nats, who are missing a few players now, it’s fun to play them when they’re at their best, too. That’s fun. That’s what the game is about, competition, when it’s fun to watch on both sides. That’s why we can compete.”
Harvey has been fantastic during the spring, and it looks like he will return to his dominating form.
Harvey was 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA in 178 innings during 2013 before being shutdown due to Tommy John.
Strasburg led the league in strikeouts with 242 last year and had a 3.14 ERA.
