Matt Harvey could not have asked for a better start to his Major League Career. After being called up from Triple-A Buffalo, Harvey made his Major League debut for the New York Mets as they faced off against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was called up because of the injuries sustained to the Mets starting rotation as well as the team’s overall struggles to win since the All-Star break. After returning from the break, the Mets have only won once in 11 games. Harvey was looking to end the Mets 6 game losing streak.
The Mets scored right off the bat in the 1st inning. Scott Hairston hit a 2-run double to put the Mets on the board. Once the top half of the 1st was over, it was time for Matt Harvey to show off his talents. Even though Harvey looked a little nervous, he was able to strike out the first batter of the game for the Diamondbacks. Harvey gave up a hit in the inning but was able to get out of it without a problem. By the end of the 3rd inning, Harvey had 7 strikeouts. In the top of the 4th, the Mets got an insurance run after an Andres Torres triple led to a Rob Johnson sacrifice fly. Harvey pitched into the 6th inning, when he was taken out for Josh Edgin. Josh Edgin came in and shut the door for 1.2 innings as the Mets had a 3-0 lead going into the 8th. Jon Rauch allowed one run in the 8th and Bobby Parnell made things nervous in the 9th, but he was able to close out the game with a strikeout. This secured Matt Harvey’s first victory in the majors.
Matt Harvey’s finishing line was 5.1IP, 3H, 0R, 3BB, 11K. He set the Mets record for strikeouts in a Major League debut. On the offensive side, Scott Hairston went 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI’s. Harvey showed that he could hit as well: he went 2-2 with a double. The Mets will face the Diamondbacks on Friday, as Jon Niese (7-4, 3.59) takes on Josh Collmenter (2-2, 3.82); First Pitch is set for 9:40 PM.
Anthony Rivera: PureSportsNY