Matt Harvey
Im not afraid to admit that when Lucas Duda hit the first inning Grand Slam, it got a little dusty in the Mets Daddy household. My son and I screamed Duda. He’s been the player we bonded over, and I couldn’t think of a better player to send the Mets on their way.
In the 10-2 clinching win, the other runs can from Mets MVP Curtis Granderson‘s second inning solo homerun. The final two came on a third inning Michael Cuddyer RBI double (scoring two). It was terrific seeing him get a big hit after how he started the year. David Wright‘s nine inning three run homerun was icing on the cake.
It was also great to see Matt Harvey just go out there and pitch. He went 6.2 innings with nine hits, two earned, and six strikeouts. He promised Terry Collins an NL East title last year, and he went out there and delivered in the clinching game. After he left, the Mets rock solid 7-8-9 trio of Addison Reed–Tyler Clippard–Jeurys Familia. This is how it’s going to go in October.
The answer to the trivia question is Jay Bruce made the last out on a Familia strike out.
After the final out, I hugged my son an cheered, I texted my brother, and I called my Dad. This was my favorite celebration after a Mets victory ever. I hope it will be topped in October.
Its fitting that Matt Harvey is taking the mound today with the Mets having an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot. His absence last year was presumed to be a reason why the Mets didn’t go all out last year to try to get into the playoffs.
With Harvey healthy, along with the emergence of Jacob deGrom last year and Noah Syndergaard this year, the Mets will be going to the playoffs. No matter what you think of Harvey, and how everything has gone down, you can’t deny the wonderful season he’s had.
In his first post-Tommy John season, he’s gone 12-7 with a 2.80 ERA, 171 strikeouts (8.7 per nine), and a 1.019 WHIP in 176.2 innings. Keep in mind that today he’s going over 180 with a other start in the season before the playoffs. If the Mets go to the World Series, he may very well go over the 200-215 “loose cap” Sandy Alderdon wanted.
In any event, Harvey gave the Mets their first glimmer of hope in 2013. His absence was a dark cloud over the 2014 season. His return was a big part of the 2015 turn around. After last year, he promised the playoffs to Terry Collins:
Terry Collins said after the game @MattHarvey33 came up to him & said "We're going to do it next year." Terry added "Matt doesn't lie to me"
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 28, 2014
Harvey can now make good on that promise today. With his hard work and dedication, Harvey has earned this. There’s no one I would rather have on that mound to start the game.
Lets Go Mets!
It was not that long ago that the Mets had no hope. It was not that long ago the Mets looked like they would never compete with the Nationals. It was not that long ago the Mets sought discounts to help them improve their offense. This was all last year when the Mets had Magic Number 1 Chris Young:
The Mets signed Young hoping he could reclimate his career. With the Mets, Young would hit .205/.283/.346. It was a continuation of his decline. It would only be 88 games before the Mets would release him. At that point, the Mets were in fourth place at 58-65. After his release, the Mets would slightly improve, but they would finish 79-83.
Because life isn’t fair, Young went to the Yankees and hit .282/.354/.521. This was the type of season the Mets were hoping that Young would produce for them. Young re-signed with the Yankees, and he appears to be heading to the playoffs. However, so are the Mets.
With Matt Harvey getting healthy, the Mets signed Michael Cuddyer because they thought they could win. When that didn’t work, they traded for Yoenis Cespedes. The Mets finally had hope this year, and they went for it.
It was not that long ago there was no hope. It was as soon as a year ago. Now the Mets are on the verge of the playoffs where the worst case scenario is a tie atop the division. Long gone are the days of no hope and discount players.
So with that let’s offer a tip of the cap to Magic Number 1 Chris Young. Whe you’re holding those caps up, wave goodbye to the tough times.
Well so much for the narrative that Noah Syndergaard can’t pitch on the road. He was so great tonight Keith was wondering if Thor was the best Mets pitcher.
Thor was consistently around 98 MPH. Not topping off at 98, consistently at 98. His final line was 7.2 innings, 5 hits, 2 ER, 0 BB, and 11 Ks. Thor wasn’t touched until the seventh and after his 100th pitch.
Offensively, Lucas Duda was awesome. He went 2-4 with two three run homeruns. The second homerun landed at the same Louisville Slugger facility where his bat was made.
Curtis Granderson added his own three run homerun in the eighth to make the score 12-0. Granderson finished the night 2-5 with a double, the aforementioned homer, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs. Overall, the Mets offense had a second straight great night. Daniel Murphy went 2-4 with an RBI double and a run scored.
The only starters without a hit was the red hot Ruben Tejada and the ice cold Travis d’Arnaud. In fact, they were the only starters without a multiple hit game, Thor included.
Tonight would’ve been a laugher except for Juan Uribe seemingly reinjuring himself. He was pinch hitting for David Wright, which was the right move. However, with these expanded rosters and a 12-0 score, it should’ve been Eric Campbell, who wound up finishing the at bat. Honestly, I don’t know why the Mets did it.
It was almost a laugher too because Eric O’Flaherty and Bobby Parnell had trouble getting the last out in the eighth. When Thor left the game, it was 12-1 with a runner on. By the time Parnell finally got the last out it was 12-4. Tim Stauffer gave up a ninth inning homerun and could t get the last out. This trio was so bad that Hansel Robles had to come into the game to end the nonsense and finally secure the 12-5 win.
With the Mets winning and the Nationals losing, the Mets can clinch tomorrow with Matt Harvey on the mound. It just seems fitting, doesn’t it?
Terry Collins is 100% correct that you worry about getting to the playoffs, and then you let the chips fall where they may. I know I’m in the minority on this, but I don’t want the Mets fighting for homefield in the NLDS.
The first reason is the rotation. We may not know who the fourth starter is, but we do know that Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Noah Syndergaard will get starts. We also know Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke will start Games 1 & 2. With Syndergaard’s home/road splits, I don’t want the Mets to have a reason to start Thor in Game 2 to keep him at Citi Field over Harvey. I like the idea of coming home and having a huge edge in the pitching matchup with Thor at home.
The second reason is the Mets offense. Kershaw and Greinke are hard enough to hit. I know the Mets will be hitting in the shadows at Dodger Stadium, but the Mets hitters are better on the road. Yoenis Cespedes hits .220/.283/.484 at Citi Field. Daniel Murphy is hitting .256/.296/.429. Curtis Granderson is hitting .236/.331/.415 (although his Dodger Stadium numbers are similar). Travis d’Arnaud is .252/.320/.461. The Mets offense travels better. Let the have a better shot at getting going early in the playoffs than struggle at home.
The final and most important reason is the importance of Games 3 & 4. The Mets would be coming home either down 0-2, tied 1-1, or up 2-0. If you’re down 0-2, there’s no place you’d rather be at home to stave off elimination. You’d also rather be home tied so you have a shot to go up 2-1 in front of a rabid fan base. If the Mets come home up 2-0, after beating Kershaw and Greinke, series over.
Therefore, I don’t think homefield advantage is something you don’t want to get. Just get the team healthy and ready for the NLDS.
Coming off an emotional Subway Series and the Jets playing on Monday Night Football, I was curious to see what the Mets ratings were against the NFL. I wasn’t shocked when the NFL has the better night:
Combined @ESPN and local TV rating for Indy market Monday night: 32.2% of homes. Combined rating in NY market: 13.5.
— Neil Best (@sportswatch) September 22, 2015
My first impression was I wasn’t surprised. Right now all Indy has is the Colts. New York has the Mets and Yankees in pennant races, and they were both playing last night. The Yankees have a huge series against the Blue Jays. I decided to dig deeper and see who watched what:
To answer good question from @Froikey: Seahawks-Packers on NBC beat Yankees-Mets on ESPN in NY market – 9.4% of homes to 8.1.
— Neil Best (@sportswatch) September 21, 2015
Unsurprisingly, the NFL had the better night. Wait! What? Those are Sunday night’s numbers. The Giants and Jets weren’t playing. The Mets and Yankees are in pennant races. There was the whole Matt Harvey angle. This lost to Seahwaks-Packers in September? I mean, I knew the NFL reigned supreme, but New York?
How can New York hold itself out as a great sports city when it can’t support its local teams when they’re good? What’s MLB’s plan of attack to counteract this? New York is baseball. It’s the home of “Willie, Mickey, and the Duke.” It’s where Jackie Robinson changed sports forever. It’s now the place where football reigns supreme.
I’m still raising my son to be a Mets fan. Right now, he loves baseball and the Mets. He watched Sunday night with me. Seemingly, we were the only ones.
When the Mets added Addison Reed right before the waiver trade deadline, the Mets had their sights set on a shutdown 7-8-9 featuring three closers. So far, each of them have performed extremely well.
You know what’s shocking? Even though the Mets have had the Addison Reed-Tyler Clippard–Jeurys Familia triumvirate together for three weeks, they only appeared together in the same game only three times. They’ve never collectively blown a lead, but the tandem has only resulted in one save. Like last night, it had more to do with the Mets tacking on eighth inning runs more than anything.
In any event, Mets fans can be confident the bullpen can hold leads and/or keep the Mets in a game. I also believe the Mets will ride this trio hard because the Mets starters go deep into games. Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey average 6.1 innings per start (average rounded down to nearest third of an inning). Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz average 6.0 innings per start (major league starts only). Bartolo Colon averages six innings per start. Jon Niese isn’t going to start in the playoffs.
If you’re starters are going at least six, you only need your triumvirate. If your starters are going less than five, you’re in trouble anyway. Even if you need to pull a starter early, there are viable options. Hansel Robles has been terrific, especially in the second half with a 2.60 ERA, 0.904 WHIP, 12.4 K/9, and a triple slash of .173/.250/.429. He’s been good enough to consider him as part of a 6-7-8-9 shut down bullpen.
In a do or die game, Terry Collins has shown he will manage accordingly. He will have a quick hook and trust his key bullpen arms. If he will lean heavily on these three or four guys that’s good news. Familia for one has shown the ability to go multiple innings. I imagine Collins is going to ride him like Joe Torre rode Mariano Rivera (calm down, it’s only a usage comparison).
For people worrying about the 11 runs allowed by the bullpen on Sunday, don’t. Robles had a hick up. He’s allowed. Eric O’Flaherty pitched in that game while the game was still in the balance. He won’t pitch in the playoffs. I’m going to discount this game especially with the rough Robles outing and the relievers that appeared in the game.
Overall, the Mets bullpen is in great shape heading into the playoffs. They can stretch out their main four guys in a do or die game. These guys can keep a game close or hold a lead. I’m even confident after the last Nationals series, Collins will deploy them properly and out them in a position to succeed.
Surprisingly, the bullpen is a major strength of this team . . . even if no one is saying it.
I was talking to one of my loyal readers a while back, my cousin Brian, and he said to me, “you really hate Terry Collins.” Honestly, I don’t. I think he’s a good man that makes baffling moves. However, I will admit he irked me yesterday. Here is his quote regarding Matt Harvey:
It’s hard for me to get it, because I am, at heart, the old-school guy. But I understand where it’s coming from. Therefore, you adjust to it. Because I’ve said before, there’s a lot of things in our game today I don’t necessarily agree with. You either adjust to it, or get out. So, I’m adjusting to it.
I read that as a veiled shot at Harvey and the innings limits. I read that as Collins wanting to push Harvey in a relatively meaningless September game when he should be getting his team ready for the playoffs. I wasn’t expecting that from him.
When it came to Johan Santana and his no-hitter, Collins was moved to tears over the possibility of ruining the guy’s career post-surgery. Three years later, Collins said he was still affected by it. He says he’s learned from it, and he will act accordingly. I don’t think he was lying. I just think old habits and views are tough to break.
I think he admires Johan for going out there and getting it, as we all should. I think he has disdain for the innings limits, but he just won’t come out and say it. It’s amazing the man crying over possibly ruining a guy’s career for a moment of glory is irked by getting a young pitcher rest so he can pursue his moment of glory.
I thought Collins learned something three years ago, and maybe because of that, he was the right guy to handle Harvey this year. I saw a guy that wanted to protect his players. I saw a guy who knew the right time to go for it. I guess I was wrong.
I’m well on the record defending Matt Harvey. Overall, in my opinion, unless you’ve been in his shoes, how can you properly judge him for ignoring a doctor’s advice and risk everything? Personally, I know my father and I ignored doctor’s advice and went to work. We’re both idiots, and we’re both on Harvey’s side.
However, there is a person with real credibility on the issue, who has taken umbridge with Harvey. That’s Curt Schilling, who said:
This entire episode with Harvey and innings and pitch counts is a joke. It's now the story instead of this teams run up to a WS.
— Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) September 21, 2015
Because of a well earned suspension and the rise of Jessica Mendoza, Schilling took to Twitter with his comments rather than being able to offer them on Sunday Night Baseball. It’s a shame because Schilling saying these comments on live TV would’ve been interesting, especially since he’s got credibility on the issue:
The “Bloody Sock Game.” Schilling risked his career to get the Red Sox to the World Series. The man literally had his tendon sewn into place so he could pitch. Then, he did it again in the World Series. If anyone can talk about risking your career for your team, it’s Schilling. I’m not going to parse out that Schilling did it in the playoffs after getting his money while Harvey still has a career to consider. The fact is Schilling did it.
Instead, we get John Kruk criticizing Harvey. The same Kruk who retired mid-game due to injuries. He got his hit, was taken out of the game, and he drove home before the game was finished.
So while I disagree with Schilling’s take, I respect his opinion. It would’ve made the broadcast last night better.
The narrative after last night’s game was Matt Harvey was soft for following doctor’s advice. The other part of the narrative was David Wright is the anti-Harvey because he’s playing through a back injury.
Let’s start with Wright. He didn’t begin his rehab until doctors signed off on it. Furthermore, spinal stenosis is a degenerative and permanent condition. The Mets are making accommodations for Wright’s injury by limiting him to playing only four games in a row. People call Wright tough, but they fail to realize he only had two options: play or retire and forfeit approximately $87 million dollars.
Harvey, who is coming back from major Tommy John surgery, is labeled as soft. This ignores everything that has happened. He was told he shouldn’t go past 180 innings. The team wanted to limit him to less than 180 innings so he could pitch in the playoffs. The team abandoned the six man rotation on three different occasions due to the sixth starter’s injury or ineffectiveness. However, the Mets made sure to publicize Harvey’s disdain for the six man rotation to make it seem like the six man rotation was abandoned on his orders.
Harvey suffered from arm fatigue and decreased velocity (major warning signs). He left a game with severe dehydration. He pitched through all of this in his first year after Tommy John surgery, and he’s not tough? That’s insane. He doesn’t want to win? Then why is he working to come up with a modified schedule so he can pitch unfettered in the playoffs?
That doesn’t stop Mets fans from blowing up on Harvey went he only goes five innings against the Yankees, but there was no peep when Wright sat against the Marlins in a loss two weeks ago. Seriously, in a game the Mets lost on a walk off hit, Wright didn’t so much as pinch hit. Why the double standard?
I don’t know why the Mets can make accommodations for Wright and not Harvey. I don’t know why people want Harvey to risk his career pitching in meaningless September games when he’s clearly gearing up for a postseason run. I don’t know why no one respects the fact that he’s making under a million, and the Mets have made no financial incentives to ignore his doctor’s advice and pitch. Wright has $87 million reasons to play. Harvey had hundreds of millions reasons not to pitch, and yet, he’s still out there pitching.
Overall, Harvey and Wright are tough and want to win. That should be the narrative. Any other narrative purposefully ignores the facts.