Matt Harvey used to be known around these parts as "The Dark Knight." The New York Mets starter gave a new meaning to that phrase on Saturday night.
Harvey struggled mightily against the Milwaukee Brewers. He showed some of his classic ability but mixed it in with some critical mistakes on a windy night in Flushing. As a result, the Mets saw their massive winning streak come to an end. Still, there were positives fans could take from the night.
Harvey doesn't have it
In the first inning, Harvey looked good; that's about as long as that lasted. In the second inning, he put two runners on base without recording an out.
After striking out the next batter, he surrendered a three-run homer to Jonathan Villar, a player not particularly known for his power. Just like that, the Mets were in a hole they would never be able to escape from on the night.
In his last two starts, Matt Harvey looks like the same pitcher he was in 2017 and 2016. So, you know, not good. #Mets
— Rich MacLeod (@richmacleod) April 15, 2018
From there, things didn't deteriorate too badly. He made work for himself in the third but got out of it. In the fourth, Harvey was fine except for a monster home run given up to Jett Bandy. He managed to survive the fifth as well. That ended his day, as Paul Sewald relieved the Mets starter in the sixth. Harvey ended the night with four earned runs, six strikeouts, a walk, and a loss.
Since his shutout start to the season, Harvey has taken a step back. In the past two outings, he has given up four earned runs, increasing his ERA to 4.80. Some of the advanced stats suggest a bit of bad luck, but three home runs surrendered through three starts isn't good. He'll have to turn it around soon, or he could become the odd man out in the Mets rotation when Jason Vargas returns.
Positives for Mets
It's easy to ride with the ebb and flow of wins and losses, even though baseball is a long marathon. That being said, the Mets did just reel off nine straight wins. They swept two divisional rivals in the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals (and Philadelphia in a shortened series) and looked convincing in doing so.
Expectations are now through the roof and questions about whether or not Mickey Callaway is the real deal have been answered.
On a more micro level, Paul Sewald looked extraordinary in relief of Harvey. He pitched three innings in relief without allowing a single baserunner. He threw five strikeouts in the process, lowering his ERA to 1.69. Sewald is quickly developing into a key cog in the Mets bullpen, which could pay massive dividends later on in the season.
