The short but eventful career of Matt Harvey in New York covered countless emotions. There was great anticipation, electrifying performances, disappointment, frustration, and empathy. It didn’t end the way anyone wanted, but it had plenty of thrills. Here are the best:
The Debut – July 26, 2012
Considering everything that transpired after this, it’s poignant to look back at the beginning of what appeared to be the onset of this generation’s Seaver or Gooden. “The Dark Knight” debuted in the desert and the Arizona Diamondbacks were first to witness Harvey’s high-90s fastball. That was the primary source for his eleven strikeouts—the most ever by any Met in his first start. Harvey also became the only pitcher since 1900 to fan that many batters while allowing two hits or less in a debut big-league outing. And if his pitching wasn’t enough, he got two hits at the plate. At 106 pitches over 5.1 innings, Harvey’s historic open was finished and would eventually end up as a victory.
“Har-vey’s Bett-er” – April 19, 2013
Two of the best young arms resided in the National League. Stephen Strasburg, the heralded first overall pick of the Washington Nationals, arrived in 2010. Harvey, coming off a solid 10-game audition the year before, was about to put it all together. They faced off at Citi Field for what seemed like the first of many match-ups. While Harvey put together a performance typical of what was to come in 2013 (seven innings, four hits, one run), Strasburg’s outing was done in by homers from Ike Davis and Lucas Duda. It was soon after that fans let it be known who they felt was the superior pitcher. The chant would be more than just hometown bias. Harvey didn’t lose until June 13 and posted a 2.27 ERA in an abbreviated but stellar first full season.
Brush with Perfection – May 7, 2013
Much like Gooden in ’84, each ‘Harvey Day’ became a happening. Harvey rarely disappointed (and rarely gave up any runs)—with a 1.89 Citi Field ERA. The White Sox were the unwilling participants in his well-advertised spectacle. It seemed the only thing that could stop Harvey was a bloody nose, which streamed down to his upper lip during the first inning. The Mets medical staff would stop the bleeding, and nothing would stop Harvey. Each of the first twenty White Sox batters were retired. With two outs in the seventh, Alex Rios’s infield single broke up any hopes of a perfect game. Harvey did finish with 13 strikeouts and no other baserunners allowed over nine innings in what became a no-decision.
All-Star Starter – July 16, 2013
Following in the footsteps of Seaver and Gooden, Harvey earned the starting assignment for the Midsummer Classic in his first full big-league season. And he got to do it at Citi Field. Harvey brushed off early jitters to toss two scoreless innings before the announced crowd of 45,186—the largest in the brief history of Mets’ new stadium. Sporting new bright orange cleats, the 24-year-old saw a double from Mike Trout and drilled Robinson Cano with a pitch. He settled down from there, retiring the next three batters including a strikeout of Miguel Cabrera. Harvey rode that momentum into a much easier second inning. He got David Ortiz to fly out, fanned Adam Jones, and retired Joe Mauer on a liner to left on his 32nd and final pitch.
Taking Care of the Cubs – October 17, 2015
The innings limit feared to keep Harvey off the mound come postseason had been a distant memory. There was no taking him away from the playoff stage. On cue, he delivered a terrific outing in the NLCS opener against the Chicago Cubs. An offense laden with young sluggers like Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant weren’t able to handle Harvey’s heat on a cold night at Citi Field. Working into the eighth inning for the first time in over two months, Harvey struck out nine in what would be a 4-2 victory — the first in the Mets’ four-game sweep over Chicago. “I wanted this game bad,” Harvey said afterwards.
The Harvey Game…for Eight Innings – November 1, 2015
As painful as the end result was, the willingness to be the determined ace Mets fans hoped for is a feat that earned tremendous respect. With little margin for error on the scoreboard and no margin for error as far as losses, Harvey dominated the Kansas City Royals. He struck out nine, walked one, and gave up four hits as New York held a 2-0 entering the top of the ninth. The conviction Harvey presented in the dugout to finish the game was enough for Terry Collins to stick with his starter to record the last three outs. Collins could have removed Harvey following a leadoff walk but instead kept him going. Once Eric Hosmer doubled into the left-field corner to cut the lead in half, Harvey’s tremendous effort was over. Before long, the lead was gone and soon too the series. But Harvey giving his all at the most needed time should not be forgotten.
