Matt Harvey had to bother watching all the scenes on his phone, computer and TV. Jacob Degrom had become the story in baseball, the story of all sports, 60 feet, 6 inches away with mastery and grace that made all of us feel lucky in our time.
More than anything, Jacob deGrom had become Matt Harvey … five times. The big city was regarded as the Dark Knight for many years, as experienced baseball people compared to the beautiful face of the Metic franchise, Mystic, Conn. He should have been a Tom Sewer, perhaps better, until Hand picked him up in the first round of the 2010 draft, betrayed him, and opened the door for a child selected in the ninth round of the same draft.
Stetson, a shortstop from Degrom, was no better prospect. He was a better athlete and, it turns out, also a better pitcher – so durable as to carry an entire organization that knows how long.
But pitying with Degrom and the Mets, Monday night in Baltimore suddenly became Harvey Day in New York. The 32-year-old starter fronted as a big player against his childhood team and hanged by a big league thread hoping to prolong the fictional life of a pro athlete. After a moderately effective performance against the Marlins, Harvey was credited with winning a ballgame for the first time in 20 months last week. Who really expected them to turn down the very team that treats Camden Yards as their own Kennedy Space Center, launching rockets one after the other?
The only odd thing is that on the way to another Yankee thrashing the Baltimore starter. Harvey looked like Harvey again. Harvey, thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and scapula surgery before Tommy John surgery. Harvey prior to his dedication to the bullpen, designation for assignment, and trade to the Reds.
Harvey, who made New York alive with possibilities every night. The Harvey who built City Field realized no less electricity than the sewer and Dock Gooden.
“It’s probably the best I’ve felt in a few years,” he would say.
Unlike the Yankees’ top prospect, Davey Garcia, Harvey opened the game in search of DJ Lemahieu. He allowed a blop single for Gio Urshela in the second time, and then a walk to Gleyber Torres before retiring 11 Yankees in a row, finishing second with a 2–0 lead to Gary Sanchez for fifth place . A study was made in the sixth existence, when Harvey surrendered two-in-two to Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, cutting the Yankees in half and defending one of the last batsmen in Baltimore to defend their lead. gave out.
Harvey reprimands himself for hanging two broken balls. But he felt good about his hands, his mechanics, and his chances against Rugon Odor. Harvey beat him to a sinker on his first pitch, before using his changeup to force him to hit a weak fly.
And that was it. Six innings, one run, three hits, five strikeouts, three walks – and a lasting memory of the way he used to throw the ball when the world was on his feet.
“I’m killing myself with a short outing,” Harvey said. He ignores a question about finding a source of inspiration in the presence of a New York rival. This will happen.
Baltimore’s 4–2 win was a surprising result, in fact, given the Yanks ‘historic dominance at Camden Yards, and an effort from the Reds to the Royals in the Angels’ A to the Royals after Harvey had to stand in the game. Tried to reverberate.
Monday night, it happened for him. Harvey was a high-maintenance act in New York that was more interested in being covered by gossip columnists than sports columnists. He would have been better then the Digrom model, and made all his noise on the field.
But it was then, and now it most certainly was. If nothing else, the Dark Knight reappeared south of Gotham for a few hours. And frankly, it was good to see him back.
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