While you may look at the box score and see that left-hander Steven Matz allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks in four innings during the Mets’ 6-3 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday, he made a mechanical adjustment after a rocky second inning and retired the last seven batters in a row.
“I think it’s huge,’’ Matz said of the way he finished his evening. “I see Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom out there and they don’t let it affect them. I try to take it from them.”
While manager Terry Collins was pleased with how his young southpaw bounced back, he told the NY Post that it was time for Matz — and everyone else — to start sharpening up.
“I don’t worry about stats,’’ Collins said. “The next time out, he’s got to start to get tuned up. At the end of this road trip, it’s time to get our focus back. We’re less than seven days from opening up when we get home, so we’ve got to be ready.”
Matz, 24, has a 8.31 ERA through four Grapefruit League starts and is assured of his spot in the Mets rotation. Despite the numbers, Matz tells Newsday he is good to go.
“I really do feel ready,” Matz said of the regular season. “I had one bad inning this time out but like I said, I bounced back from it and that’s the stuff you’re going to deal with during the season, too, so this is a part of it.”
