Matt Harvey, nicknamed the Dark Knight, is rising. The 25-year-old right hander made his first start in 558 days for the Mets after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery (underwent in October of 2013), and he put on a show.
Harvey pitched two perfect innings against the Detroit Tigers, topping out at 99 miles per hour. He was consistently in the high-90s with his fastball, in his first start since August 24th, 2013. Harvey even dropped in a curveball, a pitch he hasn’t thrown since college at the University of North Carolina. “I was feeling it,” Harvey told Mets TV analyst Ron Darling. “Had to drop that in there,” he added. This guy is unreal.
While meeting with reporters after exiting the game, Harvey said,
“I feel like I never left. I could tell the ball was coming out good. I think I let a few go, but for the most part I was really trying to stay loose and hit my spots, and I felt pretty confident with that … Things felt good, so the fact that I had surgery is out of my mind. I’m excited. I’m not going to deny that I’m excited about being back.”
Harvey was so excited about being back, he joked with reporters that he wanted to keep pitching. That bulldog mentality is what Mets fans have grown to love about their ace.
Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie, Florida was sold out Friday to watch Harvey and top prospect Noah Syndergaard take the hill in the Mets’ spring training home opener.
“When I left the dugout and was running out to the outfield to warm up, I could hear the fans. That moment really reminded me of the All-Star Game and the support that I was given there. That was really special. So that will be something I remember for a long time.”
Something else he’ll remember for a long time? Pitching in a pennant race this year. In only three games of Grapefruit League baseball in 2015, the Mets have shown plenty of promise. The young pitching is ready, the offense is finally there… oh, and the Dark Knight has risen.
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