Mets playoffs: Matt Harvey to start Game 1 of NLCS

After the Mets' triumphant win over the Dodgers 3-2 last night propelled them into the National League Championship Series, Mets manager Terry Collins announced that Game 1 of the NLCS belongs to Matt Harvey. Harvey will look to improve upon his first career postseason start, which came in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers. The 26-year-old battled through five innings while yielding three runs (two earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts. The start put Harvey's 2015 innings count at 194.1 innings, a touch over the infamous Scott Boras benchmark of 180.

With Harvey getting the ball in Game 1, it puts him in line for two starts in the series. That might have sounded crazy in mid-September, but Harvey changed his tune about a potential shutdown. In fact, if Game 5 last night went into extra innings, Harvey would have been in the game. The former first round pick in 2010 told Collins on the fight to Los Angeles on Wednesday that he wanted to be available out of the bullpen. Matt Harvey does not appear to be slowing down as the Mets head deeper into the postseason.

On Saturday, Harvey will be facing the Cubs for the second time this season. He was terrific in the first start back on May 13 at Wrigley Field, a game the Mets lost 2-1. Harvey fired seven shutout innings while scattering three hits and striking out nine.