Harvey improved his E. R. A. to 4.95, limiting Pittsburgh to one run over six innings and working his way out of jams in the fourth and the fifth.
PITTSBURGH — The jam was minor in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game — two runners on base with two outs and the Mets holding a comfortable lead — but it was the kind of situation in which pitcher Matt Harvey has withered this season. In his current state, he is no longer the pitcher he once was.
Yet in Sunday’s 7-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, Harvey turned in what might have been his best start of the season and showed flashes of his old ability to wade out of danger.
“Very, very happy for him, ” Mets Manager Terry Collins said. “This has to be a huge boost for his confidence.”
The Mets (21-27) cannot turn around the rough first two months of their season in one night, but Harvey’s performance — one run, four strikeouts and two walks over six innings — bodes well for a rebound. The Mets have been waiting for serviceable starting pitching to bolster their potent hitting, and this weekend was promising.
“Things were going pretty smoothly mechanically tonight, and I was able to make some pitches when I needed to, ” Harvey said.
Harvey was facing a Pirates team that was near the bottom of the majors in runs scored per game, but he still showed progress, and that pickle in the fifth inning was a telling example.
Harvey registered two quick outs but then gave up singles to Josh Harrison and Josh Bell, the heart of the Pirates’ lineup. The next batter was Gregory Polanco, the Pirates’ cleanup hitter, who had smashed a long solo home run off Harvey in the second.
Polanco’s homer came on a slider on the outside edge of the plate, a dangerous spot that allowed Polanco to extend his long arms. So in the fifth, Harvey attacked Polanco on the inner half of the strike zone instead, striking him out on a 2-2 slider that broke down and in. The pitch had the break and location that had been missing for weeks.
“That’s what I’ ve been waiting for a long time: to put somebody away with that and get out of a tight situation and not give up runs, ” Harvey said.
Harvey, who also improved his pace on the mound, flashed a fist pump as he walked back to the dugout. Although brief, it was a reminder of Harvey’s swagger.
Harvey also wriggled out of a bind in the fourth. With two Pirates on base and one out, he struck out Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer. Harvey pumped 95-mile-per-hour fastballs, yet the better command and the breaking balls were what stood out.
After Sunday’s stout outing, Harvey’s E. R. A. dropped to 4.95, the lowest it has been since late April. Sunday was the first time all season he allowed only one run.
“I’ ve always known I was going to get back to where I wanted to, ” Harvey said. “Obviously it’s taken a little bit of time, and it’s been frustrating for me. But a lot of the work has been paying off, and really, it’s a huge, huge positive for me to execute those pitches tonight.”
The Mets have done their best to support Harvey during his return from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last summer. The pitching coach Dan Warthen has worked with him on replicating his old mechanics, and Collins has constantly tried to boost Harvey’s confidence.
“I try to tell him each and every time, ” Collins said, “in every conversation, ‘I look around the stadium and there’s still a lot of Matt Harvey jerseys being worn.’ So he’s still a guy. You’ ve got to move on and get past it all, and take it one step at a time.”
Harvey also had plenty of support at the plate. Even as the Mets await the return of Yoenis Cespedes, a dynamic hitter who has been on the disabled list since April 28, their offense has been their strength.
Curtis Granderson, who has been hitting better after a dreadful start, collected three hits. So did Jay Bruce, who drove in two runs in the fifth with a double that increased the Mets’ lead to 5-1. Asdrubal Cabrera put the Mets ahead in the third with a two-run double. Lucas Duda, the team’s hottest hitter, homered for the third time in six games.
While the offense has carried its weight, the Mets’ battered rotation has not. But Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler have been pitching well. If Harvey can build on Sunday’s performance, the Mets may have more frequent victories ahead.
“The biggest part is trying to win games, and try to go out there and help, ” Harvey said.
After the victory, he spoke to reporters while wearing the silver and blue crown the Mets award to the player of the game when they win. Despite a season of much struggle on and off the field, Harvey grinned.
“I didn’ t think I’ d get to wear this pretty much all year, ” he said. “It’s a nice feeling.”
INSIDE PITCH
Nearing their returns, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo, two key pitchers who have been out all season with elbow injuries, each made their third appearances of their minor league rehabilitation assignments on Sunday. Matz fired 73 pitches over five hitless innings for Class AAA Las Vegas, while Lugo threw 79 pitches and allowed three runs over six innings for Class AA Binghamton. The Mets have not said when each will rejoin the major league team.
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