Harvey flirts with perfection, Mets nip White Sox in 10
NEW YORK -- Curt Schilling had the bloody sock. Matt Harvey had the bloody nose.
Before he stepped on the mound and tossed the best game of his young life, the 24-year-old had to try to literally stop the bleeding, delaying the start of the game by four minutes.
"All of a sudden, I just started bleeding," Harvey said. "I don't know if it was dryness or whatnot."
Whatever it was, it certainly didn't affect Harvey, who tossed a one-hit gem through nine innings as the New York Mets defeated the Chicago White Sox 1-0 in 10 innings at Citi Field Tuesday night.
Harvey didn't get a decision, but he certainly got plenty of respect in both clubhouses after a spectacular performance. He allowed just an infield hit and struck out a career-high 12.
"Everything was obviously working," Harvey said. "When I can throw my slider for strikes and also bounce it when I need to, that's when it starts getting fun. That was definitely the best I've felt all year. Hopefully I can keep it going."
Consistently pumping first-pitch strikes, Harvey took a perfect game into the seventh inning before Alex Rios legged out a two-out infield single deep in the hole at short. Ruben Tejada backhanded the ball, jumped and fired, but the White Sox right fielder just beat the throw.
"It was a slider, middle away, and I rolled it over," Rios said. "I guess I rolled it over, but it got the job done. Got to first and that's what we were trying to do, get to first and make our chances to score a run better."
White Sox manager Robin Ventura, a standout on Mets playoff teams in 1999 and 2000, said Harvey was as good as advertised, comparing him to Detroit ace Justin Verlander.
"It's velocity, it's movement, just presence, everything," Ventura said. "He had it all. He's impressive."
Mets catcher John Buck said he knew right away that Harvey was going to have as special night, fully commanding every pitch he threw.
"It was the location of his fastball right off the bat, down low and away, up and in," Buck said. "He was locating his heater wherever and whenever I wanted."
It was the longest perfect game bid for the Mets since Rick Reed also went 6 2/3 innings against Tampa Bay in June 1998. That was broken up by Wade Boggs' double.
Mets manager Terry Collins, who said there was no chance Harvey was going to come out for the 10th inning, was most impressed with Harvey's command of his changeup.
"That's stuff that veteran guys, it takes them years to develop and certainly perfect," Collins said of Harvey, who threw 105 pitches.
Nate Jones (0-3) waked Ike Davis to lead off the 10th inning and the Mets first baseman was bunted over to second by Juan Lagares. Pinch-hitting for Bobby Parnell (3-0), Mike Baxter laced a single up the line in right for the first walk-off hit of his career.
"It's a good feeling. It was nice," Baxter said. "Off a guy like that I was just trying to get a ball up in the zone, put the barrel on it and square it up."
In any other game, Baxter would have been the big story. But this night, clearly belonged to Matt Harvey.
NOTES: The White Sox claimed first baseman Mike McDade off waivers from Cleveland and optioned him to Class AAA Charlotte. The switch-hitting McDade, who turns 24 on Wednesday, hit .230 with no home runs and seven RBI in 21 games with Class AAA Columbus. ... Right-hander Gavin Floyd underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on Tuesday to repair the ulnar collateral ligament and a torn flexor muscle in his elbow. Floyd, who is expected to be sidelined 14-19 months, went 0-4 with a 5.18 ERA in five starts this season. ... Mets right-hander Frank Francisco pitched one scoreless inning for St. Lucie of the Class A Florida State League against Daytona in his second appearance in as many days. He has thrown four scoreless innings in four rehab starts. Collins said no decision has been made yet on Francisco's next move. "Frank has to show us he can pitch back-to-back days up here, that he's strong enough," Collins said. "We're talking three days in a row. Can you do that?"
