'Angry' Matt Harvey Gets Mets Back On Track In Arizona
PHOENIX (CBSNewYork/AP) — A home run gave Matt Harvey the jolt he needed.
Harvey clamped down on Arizona's hitters after giving up an early long ball to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, striking out nine over seven innings to end a two-game losing streak in the New York Mets' 6-2 victory Thursday night.
"He said he needed something to kick-start him and he got after it after that," Mets manager Terry Collins said.
The Mets couldn't get much going against Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray, but finally broke through after he left to move back atop the NL East.
John Mayberry Jr., who entered the game batting .137, had a two-run homer among his career-high four hits. Kevin Plawecki hit a two-run double off reliever Dominic Leone (0-1), Ruben Tejada had a sacrifice fly and the Mets banged out 14 hits to win for the second time in 11 road games.
That was more than enough for Harvey (6-3).
"I kind of got angry that my last couple starts weren't very good," Harvey said. "I think I needed to put an end to that."
Though he gave up solo homers to Saltalamacchia and Paul Goldschmidt, he had the rest of the Diamondbacks swinging through pitches to win for the first time in six starts.
"Nasty. Really good. That's why he is who he is and everybody is talking about him," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said.
Jeurys Familia got five outs for his 16th save, striking out Goldschmidt with a runner on in the eighth.
Harvey became the first pitcher in modern history to strike out at least 10 and get two hits in his major league debut at Chase Field in July 2012. He whiffed 11 over 5 1-3 shutout innings that night and earned the win.
He was good early against the Diamondbacks on Thursday while piling up the strikeouts, including five straight.
Some of the balls hit off him were hit hard, though.
Saltalamacchia hit a line-drive homer into the pool deck in right-center in the second inning — his first with Arizona — and Goldschmidt did the same thing in the sixth, cutting New York's lead to 3-2.
Harvey limited the damage, however, giving up two runs and six hits.
"We needed something from him in that start and got it," Collins said.
"For me, it was more of an anger than anything," Harvey said. "I just tried to keep them off the board."
Ray was called up from Triple-A Reno to start after Archie Bradley went on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis. Ray struggled early, working out of two-on, no-out jams in the first two innings before settling down.
Ray allowed six hits in five scoreless innings, with four strikeouts.
"For the most part, my stuff was good tonight," Ray said. "I just have to work on putting batters away."
New York took advantage when he left, scoring three runs in the sixth off Leone in his Arizona debut, including Plawecki's two-run double high off the wall in center. Harvey helped himself with a single, and Tejada added a sacrifice fly.
Pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson had an RBI single in the eighth.
NUMBERS
New York's Eric Campbell is hitless in his last 27 at-bats after going 0 for 3. ... Goldschmidt's homer was the 99th of his career, tying Matt Williams on Arizona's all-time list. Goldschmidt also passed Mark Reynolds for seventh in team history with his 347th RBI. ... Familia became the third Mets reliever to have three wild pitches in a game, joining Rigo Beltran in 1999 and John Franco in 1993.
UP NEXT
Mets: LHP Jonathon Niese, the scheduled starter Friday against Arizona, has allowed 20 earned runs in 20 innings in his past four starts after opening with a 1.95 ERA through his first six starts of the season.
Diamondbacks: RHP Jeremy Hellickson is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in three starts heading into Friday's game against the Mets.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: 3B Daniel Murphy left in the bottom of the third with a tight left quadriceps. ... C Travis d'Arnaud (broken pinkie) went 1 for 2 and 2B Dilson Herrera (broken finger) was 1 for 3 with a double for Class A St. Lucie in a rehab game.
Diamondbacks: An MRI on Bradley's right shoulder was negative and he will likely take two or three days off before throwing again.
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