KANSAS CITY, Mo. — During another lackluster season in Queens, Matt Harvey made his much-anticipated debut on July 26, 2012, in Arizona with the Mets in the midst of a six-game losing streak.
Harvey delivered 5 ¹/₃ scoreless innings, striking out 11 in a 3-1 win.
He was the first of the Mets current crop of young starters to make the jump from the minors, a group the team hoped would one day put it in position to win a World Series.
Perhaps it’s appropriate, then, that even after all the innings-limits controversies, Harvey will start Game 1 against the Royals on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium.
“I think for all of us, we’re kind of sitting around the locker room all talking to each other and I don’t think anything has really set in for us yet,” Harvey said. “Which in our minds I think is a positive. We still realize that it’s a baseball game. And for me this is another start. Obviously, it’s a start on a different level.”
He’ll be followed by Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz — all flame-throwers.
That could present a challenge against a Kansas City lineup that doesn’t strike out much, but Harvey is confident he’s different enough from his counterparts to make things difficult for the Royals.
“Obviously, the last four starters that we’ve had, I think I’m kind of topping out at the least number right now,” Harvey said of his fastball. “So for me behind Noah, who is throwing 150 million mph and Jake, who throws it up in the high 90s, I’ve been happy with pitching at 94, 95 and really mixing in a lot of different pitches.”
It worked in the NLCS, when Harvey shut down the Cubs into the eighth inning.
The Royals understand what they’re up against and believe they are ready.
“The game’s changed a lot and everybody nowadays is throwing 95, 98,” Mike Moustakas said. “Maybe not four guys in the same rotation, but you get used to facing guys that throw hard like that all year. … You’ve just got to get your foot down a little bit earlier.”
The Royals could end up facing Harvey three times if the Series goes the distance, with Harvey scheduled to start Game 5 and be ready out of the bullpen in Game 7, if necessary.
Manager Terry Collins will keep that in mind Tuesday.
“There will always be a little bit,” Collins said of a pitch count. “We realize that he’s going to come back in four days and have to pitch again. So we’re aware of that, too. But he won’t throw 150 [pitches], if that’s what you’re thinking.”
The 97 pitches he threw to get two outs into the eighth against the Cubs would likely be just fine for the Mets.
“For me, the Cubs outing definitely made me think a lot and really know that I can be successful at 94, 95 [mph] and really just work on hitting spots and mixing my pitches in,” Harvey said.