Matt Harvey hit his first career home run in the fifth inning last night. He became the second Met pitcher to homer this year, joining Noah Syndergaard who homered against the Phillies on May 27 at Citi Field.
The last season in which two home runs were hit by Mets pitchers was 1997 when Armando Reynoso, Mark Clark and Rick Reed went deep. Since the start of 2014, no other team has had two different pitchers homer in a single season. Harvey is the sixth pitcher in club history to erase a deficit with a home run and the first since Rick Reed erased a two-run deficit in the fifth inning on July 19, 1997 against the Reds at Shea Stadium.
Harvey allowed his 14th home run of the season (111.1 IP) in the fifth inning. He’s surrendered 12 home runs in his 36 career starts prior to this season (237.3 innings). It was the fourth home run he allowed this season on the first pitch of an at-bat. Opponents are hitting .429 (24-56) against Harvey on the first pitch of an at-bat this season. Eight of the 26 career home runs he has allowed have come in the first inning. It was the only first-inning hit Harvey has allowed in his last five starts. Left handed batters have hit 11 of the 14 home runs allowed by Harvey this season.
In their last three games, deGrom struck out 10, Syndergaard fanned 13 and Harvey struck out nine. The last time New York starters recorded at least nine strikeouts in three straight games was August 21-23, 2012, when Chris Young, Matt Harvey and Collin McHugh each struck out nine batters. Mets starters have a 1.40 ERA (16 earned runs/103.0 innings) in their last 15 games dating to June 25. New York pitching has allowed 23 earned runs in its last 142.0 IP (1.46 ERA).
