Mets' Harvey Has Debut For The Ages, Mows Down Diamondbacks In Win
Updated at 1:15 a.m., July 27, 2012
PHOENIX (AP) -- Matt Harvey dazzled in his major league debut, holding Arizona to three hits and striking out 11 over 5 1-3 innings in the New York Mets' 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks on Thursday night.
Scott Hairston hit a two-run double and Andres Torres tripled and scored for the Mets, who snapped a six-game losing streak. New York won for only the second time in 13 games since the All-Star break, narrowly avoiding the fate of the 1962 club that went 1-14 to start the second half.
Harvey (1-0), the Mets' top pick in the 2010 draft, set a franchise record for strikeouts in a debut. He also doubled and singled to become the first pitcher since 1900 to strike out more than 10 and collect a pair of hits in his first game.
He allowed only Jason Kubel's soft single through the third base hole, vacated on an infield shift, a double to Miguel Montero in the second and Aaron Hill's one out single in the third.
Harvey threw 106 pitches, 65 for strikes -- including his first two major league pitches.
Gerardo Parra, who reached base on a wild pitch after striking out, was the only Arizona hitter to reach third against the 24-year-old right-hander.
Bobby Parnell pitched around a pair of walks in the ninth for his third save.
Arizona starter Wade Miley (11-6), the third straight 2012 All-Star the Mets have faced, gave up three runs on nine hits in 5 1-3 innings, his shortest outing since going 3 2-3 innings on June 30. The Diamondbacks have lost two straight after running off five wins in a row.
With Harvey keeping the Diamondbacks in check, the Mets looked like an entirely different club than they had been since the All-Star break.
Ruben Tejada led off the game with a single to center, went to third on a Daniel Murphy single to center and scored on Hairston's two-run double off the right field wall.
Torres made it 3-0 in the fourth when he tripled to center and scored on Rob Johnson's sacrifice fly to center, barely sliding under a strong throw from Parra.
Kubel scored the Diamondbacks' lone run in the eighth when he was walked by Jon Rauch, went to third on a double by Paul Goldschmidt and scored easily on Justin Upton's sacrifice fly.
Tim Byrdak came on for Rauch and, after hitting Montero with a pitch, struck out pinch-hitter Lyle Overbay with the tying runs on first and second.
NOTES: Harvey became the first Mets pitcher to get a pair of hits in his debut since David West on September 24, 1988. Harvey is the 20th player from the 2010 draft to appear in a major league game and joined Josh Edgin as the second Mets player from that draft to make his debut. ... New York had allowed four or more runs in each of their past 13 games, the second-longest streak in franchise history. ... Montero has hit safely in 15 of his past 18 home games. ... Arizona CF Chris Young, who has hit .294 since the All-Star break to raise his average to .218, was given the night off in favor of the left-handed Parra. ... Before the game, the Mets recalled Johnson from Triple-A Buffalo to take the place of Mike Nickeas, who was optioned to Buffalo after Wednesday's loss. ... LHP Jonathan Niese will take the mound for the Mets on Friday against RHP Josh Collmenter. Niese gave up three earned runs in five innings in his only previous start at Chase Field.
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