Harvey Silences Critics, Pitches Mets to Postseason for First time Since 2006

From Metsblog
Matt Harvey

All the collapse talk can end.

All the “Harvey Dent” – “two face” stuff can end.

Matt Harvey, amid discussion of innings limits and off an outing where he seemed content to throw just 5 innings, pitched 7 and 2/3 solid innings guiding the Mets to the clinching victory that awarded the NL East to the New York Mets in 2015.

Matt Harvey has been embroiled in controversy, much of it his own doing, thanks to comments he made in the aftermath of his agent Scott Boras’s comments that Harvey’s innings limit for 2015 would be 180.

He pitched just 5 innings in what was then a big start against the New York Yankees whilst the Mets were in the middle of a bit of a slump at Citi Field last week.

To make matters worse, at that point, the Nationals were winning their games, and the division lead was starting to look surmountable.

Fast forward a week later, and the Nationals were back to their losing ways, and the Mets were on the precipice of a division title.

Enter Matt Harvey.

With uncertainty surrounding how far Harvey would go against the Reds on Saturday, Harvey struggled after the Mets staked him to a 5-0 lead in the 2nd.

In the bottom of the second, the Reds sent 8 men to the plate and plated a pair of runs.

But Harvey settled down, got the outs he needed in the inning and was very effective.

Mets’ fans had to be wondering how far he’d go, the answer was 97 pitches and into the 7th inning.

Fittingly, Clippard twirled a scoreless 8th, and Familia locked down the 9th and the celebration was on in the Mets’ clubhouse.

In a postgame interview, Harvey while being doused with champagne acknowledged that he has heard his critics and reiterated that he wants the ball “every game”.