Here’s a summary and some thoughts on Matt Harvey who made his spring debut against the Detroit Tigers this afternoon at Tradition Field.
Harvey was in command right from the start. Leadoff batter Anthony Gose was easy pickings and after Harvey hung a 12-6 curveball for strike two, he followed that up with a 98 mph fastball that Gose swung through for strike three.
Jose Iglesias hit a comebacker to Harvey for the second out and then Rajaii Davis hit a weak grounder to Michael Cuddyer for the final out of the first inning. How many pitchers get a standing ovation after the top of the first? This guy did.
In the second and final inning for Harvey, he got Nick Castellanos to fly out to center on five pitches, and then went into beast mode, striking out Jordan Lennerton swinging and then after a 99 mph fastball to catcher Bryan Holaday for strike two, Harvey put him away with the big hook for strike three looking.
“I feel like I never left,” Harvey said. “I could tell the ball was coming out good. I think I let a few go, but for the most part I was really trying to stay loose and hit my spots, and I felt pretty confident with that.”
“Things felt good, so the fact that I had surgery is out of my mind.”
The Mets ace hit 98 twice and 99 mph three times according to one scout, ouch! But perhaps most impressive was a devastating curveball that was absolutely lethal. In a word, Harvey was untouchable.
It was fun reading some of the reactions from everyone, but I laughed when I heard something Travis d’Arnaud told reporters after the game.
“I felt the buzz when I pulled into the parking lot,” d’Arnaud said. “It was the first spring training game I can remember attending where I was so nervous heading to the park. Hadn’t been this nervous in a while.”
When someone asked him why he was so nervous, d’Arnaud looked up and said, “It’s Harvey Day.”
