New York Mets manager Terry Collins spoke with reporters after the huge 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. Collins gave some great answers to a host of great questions. Enjoy…
How impressed were you with Matt Harvey and his command of all four pitches?
“I think what we talked about earlier today and going into this game was to try to get him some consistency and a routine, and the result is better command of his stuff, and you saw it tonight. He had better command. His changeup was outstanding early. He threw some curveballs, good curveballs early. On a night like this you’re not going to really have your real, real good fastball. The weather just isn’t conducive to it.”
“But he moved the ball around. Tried to go in on Rizzo when he hit him, but you need to do that. You need to get some of those guys off the plate. But he was very, very good. And after he got hit with the line drive, the next inning I thought he started out a little shaky, but, boy, then he still looked very, very good. He pitched a great game.”
Curtis Granderson continues to give you quality at-bats and he’s been having an excellent postseason.
“He’s continuing to do all — even in the postseason, what he’s done all year, and that is put good at-bats together. One of the things I like to think that he’s doing, he’s starting to use the field, hitting more balls left field. They’ve got the shift on him. He’s hit some rockets into the shift that balls have been caught. So if he can start to hit some balls the other way, I think he’s going to drive some runs in, if we get some guys on base. We’re having a little trouble doing that right now.”
Was it a difficult decision to send Harvey out for the 8th inning?
“Yeah, it was hard. I just went and talked to him between innings, and he said, “Listen, I feel great.” He’s at 90 pitches. I just thought well, if he starts the inning, and if he gets in trouble with the three-run lead it was a little easier than it was with the two. But I just said, you know, if he gets two outs and anything goes on, I’ve got Jeurys ready. So once in a while you’ve got to throw him a bone, and tonight was that time.”
How big was that home run by Travis d’Arnaud and the way he blocked the plate on Cespedes’ throw?
“He’s a good player, it’s just when he gets hurt, he gets hurt for a long period of time it seems like. But he can swing the bat. We know that. We’ve always liked his catching, and the more he plays, I just think the better he’s going to get because the confidence is going to be there. But he’s dangerous. When he’s at home plate, he’s dangerous. He can hit a homer, he can hit one to all fields, so we’re glad he’s — we’ve got to get some other guys swinging right now.”
Are you trying to avoid using your middle relievers and setup men?
“I’m not trying to. I’m not trying to. It’s just we’ve got pretty good starting pitching, and if they can get deep into the game — you’ve got, again, what I think is one of the best closers in baseball. If you can get your starters to give you eight, and turn the ball over to him, I like your chances. But believe me, I like the guys that are setting up.”
Familia, has been working hard…
“I don’t know, maybe Jeurys tomorrow night will need a night off and we can close with Clip and set up with Addison. We’ve got options down there. But when you’ve got Jake who is going deep into games, and tonight Matt went deep in the game, I’m hoping Noah tomorrow goes deep in the game. That’s the perfect scenario. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t, but when it does, I think you’ve got to go to it.”
Does this win prove this is a totally different team than three or four months ago when the Cubs swept you?
“Well, this is a different team. But we played them good. I mean, look at the game that Matt pitched in Chicago. He shut them out for seven innings. We took him out and they scored and ended up winning the game. They have a good team. They have good pitching. We’re just going to continue to try to change the outlook by having some different guys in the lineup with Cespedes, and David’s back. We kind of like what we’re running out there, and we’ve just got to start swinging the bats because we’ve got a big challenge tomorrow night again.”
You’ve had Harvey’s back the whole time, has he put this whole thing to rest as far as the innings?
“Again, I try not to get too involved in some of that stuff because it’s really nothing I can control. But I talk to this guy every day. I know exactly what he’s made of. I know exactly what he’s about, and he wants the baseball. He wants it.”
“That is not just a mask that he’s putting out. This kid likes to compete. Tonight when I went to him between innings I said, “How you doing?” He said, “I’m going back out. Let me go back out.” I said, “Listen, if you’re getting stiff, because the thing, we’re all set up.” He said, “Terry, I’m fine. I feel great.” So I let him go back out.”
“Because, again, as you said, I’ve got his back and once in a while you’ve got to believe in him. You’ve got to believe in them, and if you do, they give you a tremendous effort each and every time.”
Another Daniel Murphy homer, that’s four now and all of them off All Star pitchers.
“Well, I think Dan Murphy is an All-Star. So I don’t think it’s something that’s strange. I think Dan gets in the batter’s box. We all know when he gets hot, he can hit anybody and he can do a lot of damage, and he’s hot.”
“So tonight early he took advantage of it. Of course the last play he made — this guy, he likes to be on the big stage too. Sometimes on this team you can get overshadowed by all the stars that are here…Murphy has been that one steady guy that you look up, he plays hard. He’s always coming through for you. He learned how to play second; he’s done a good job. You put him at first, he never says a word. He’s a baseball player. I’m not surprised at anything that he does.”
