The Dark Knight Rises, 10 Years Later: Start #16

Here at Amazin’ Avenue, we’re marking the 10-year anniversary of Matt Harvey’s transcendent 2013 season by spending the year looking back at each of Harvey’s amazing 26 starts that season, one by one, on the anniversary day of each start. We’ll re-live one of the best pitching seasons in Mets history, start-by-start, from its zenith to its tragic end.

We continue today with his 16th start on the road against the Phillies. You can read about his last start here.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The rousing success of Super Tuesday had led to better feelings around the Mets than there had been in quite a while, and it helped that suddenly started playing a little better after the Super Tuesday doubleheader, too. Five days later, the Mets had all of a sudden won four of their last six, which doesn’t sound like much at all, except for the fact that they had won just three games in the month of June before that doubleheader, but now they were getting back to winning some games.

Matt Harvey’s next start would come on a Sunday afternoon against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The last time Harvey faced Philadelphia, he mowed them down and outpitched Roy Halladay. He was looking to do something similar on this Sunday afternoon in Philly against John Lannan.

Zack Wheeler’s debut aside, the 2013 Mets to this point were largely the David Wright and Matt Harvey show. Both Harvey and Wright were the only two Mets consistently contributing, and were the two most likely Mets to represent the team at the All-Star game, which would be held at Citi Field in July. In this game against the Phillies, the Wright and Harvey Show really went into full gear as both players increased their All-Star cases.

Harvey shined first. Handed a 1-0 lead on a Marlon Byrd sacrifice fly in the top half of the first, Harvey struck Jimmy Rollins out on a curveball to start the bottom half, and he was off from there. He would retire the side in order in the first, strike out two more in a scoreless second inning, and whiff another in a perfect third inning. It was just another day at the park for the Dark Knight.

In the fourth, Harvey worked around a double by Chase Utley and a walk to Ryan Howard by striking out Domonic Brown and getting Delmon Young to ground out to end the frame and strand Utley the runners, holding the 1-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth, a Mets rally got started on a lucky break, when a fly ball to center field by Juan Lagares was caught by Ben Revere, but dropped before he could transfer it successfully to his throwing hand. It was ruled no catch, and by the time Revere threw the ball in, Lagares was on third. The incredible hustle by Lagares put the Mets in a good spot.

Two batters later, Harvey came up with Lagares still 90 feet away. He worked it to a 1-2 count, and lifted an outside fastball off the wall in right-center field for an RBI double to drive in Lagares. Harvey’s second RBI of the season delivered himself an important insurance run, and the inning was far from over.

Eric Young Jr. then doubled Harvey home to put the Mets up 3-0. Later, Wright would double home EYJ for the third run of the inning; it was Wright’s second double of the game.

Now staked to a 4-0 lead partially of his own doing, Harvey went back to work the next inning, and delivered another 1-2-3 frame.

The Mets added two more runs off Lannan in the top of the sixth, and had opened it up to 6-0. Harvey’s metronomic dominance continued as he then went perfectly through the bottom of the sixth. He had retired 8 Phillies in a row.

And then it started raining. They tried playing through it, but they quickly realized that was not a good idea, and they had to put the tarp on and call a rain delay in the top of the seventh.

The delay didn’t last long, but it was long enough to end Harvey’s day after just six innings and 72 pitches. It was the smart thing to do, especially with a 6-0 lead in hand, but it was a little disappointing to prematurely end what was turning into another dominant Harvey start. He allowed just two hits and a walk and had struck out six across his six innings of work.

After the rain stopped and the game resumed, Wright tripled off the wall in center field. It was his third extra-base hit of the game. He later scored on a Marlon Byrd double. Then in the ninth, Wright hooked an 0-2 curveball in the other batter’s box over the left field fence for a home run. It was an absurd pitch to hit out to cap off an absurd day at the plate for the captain. He went 4-for-5 with four extra base hits, and was a single shy of the cycle.

The Mets led 8-0 at that point, and Brandon Lyon closed it out to seal the win. Harvey got the win, his seventh of the season, and lowered his ERA to a crazy 2.05 through 16 starts. That ERA was now the third-best in baseball behind Jeff Locke and Clay Buchholz, both having shockingly good seasons, but Harvey’s 4.3 fWAR now led all starting pitchers in baseball. His run of shaky starts in May was a distant memory now, and he had not allowed a home run in over a month. He was emerging as the NL Cy Young favorite, and the favorite to start the All-Star game at Citi Field.

Baseball reference box score