Game #39: Mets 3, Cubs 2

And by his ninth start of the season, Matt Harvey figured out that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Harvey himself drove in the go-ahead run in the 7th to make another great start stand up as the Mets knocked off the Cubs in the afternoon series opener, 3-2.

The Good Stuff:

• After getting the first out in the bottom of the 1st, Matt Harvey let Chicago score twice on a single, double, and another single. He would give up just two more hits the rest of his 7.1 innings of work, walking no one and striking out six on 106 pitches.
• Yet New York failed to do more than tie the game when Harvey came to bat with Rick Ankiel on second and two out in the top of the 7th, and it looked like the young ace's fifth straight great start would go once again unfulfilled. Except Harvey helped his own cause with a groundball single through the hole in the left side, scoring Ankiel and finally putting himself in position to pick up that elusive fifth W.
• But fate was looking unkind once again when Scott Rice was brought on with a runner on second and one out in the 8th inning. David DeJesus hit a single to right field, and Darwin Barney was coming around to score the tying run and seal another no-decision. Except Marlon Byrd through a strike from the outfield to nail Barney by a mile at the plate. Not even Mr. Harvey himself could have done it better.
• After that, Rice got Starlin Castro to ground out and end the inning, and Bobby Parnell pitched a 1-2-3 9th for the save.
• David Wright and Daniel Murphy provided the rest of the offensive spark for the Mets, as Wright hit a bomb that barely missed clearing Waveland Avenue in the 1st (one of his three hits) and Murphy defied the in-blowing breeze with an opposite-field liner that just cleared the ivy-covered brick walls.

The Bad Stuff:

• Wrigley Field is anciently old, so Gary and Keith were probably crammed into the press box pretty uncomfortably. At least Keith's lip won't tickle anymore.

Final Analysis:
In his appearance at the Grand Old Lady of the National League, Matt Harvey found out that this was his kind of town, Chicago is. His ERA went up again after this start, if you can believe it, increasing to 1.55 from 1.44. He keeps this up and the Mets have a legitimate chance of getting to see their boy start on the mound at their All-Star Game. And if David Wright and Daniel Murphy keep up their hot streaks, Harv could be pitching with two of his teammates right behind him in the infield.

As for the New York ball club, they have now won back-to-back games for the first time since visiting Minneapolis last month. Just the thing a hapless team needs to get their hap back: a team with even less hap. Hopefully the Chicago Cubs will continue their line of hap-credit tomorrow afternoon.

MM