It’s an emotional homecoming for Harvey in Citi Field return
New York — Matt Harvey tipped his cap to acknowledge a warm standing ovation by Mets fans on Wednesday afternoon. It was all downhill from there for Harvey in his return to Citi Field.
Emotional, overwhelmed, or a mix of both, Harvey stood composed on the mound, but he was not the Dark Knight who helped carry the Mets to the 2015
World Series. The Mets tagged him for seven earned runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings in their 7-1 win over the Orioles.
When it was over, his season ERA jumped from 3.60 to 4.81.
“There was a lot of excitement, a lot of memories,” Harvey, thoughtful and sentimental, said following the game. “Obviously there's been so many ups and downs here in this ballpark and 7 1 in this organization. I didn't really know what to expect and what they gave me, what the fans gave me, was pretty incredible.
“I was holding back tears. I'm not going to lie about that. It was pretty hard holding them back. It reminded me of, really, a lot of the good memories.”
Taijuan Walker, in a nod to the Mets' current strong starting pitching staff, continued his terrific start to the season with one run allowed over seven innings. The Mets (18-13) extended their winning streak to seven games. It's their longest winning streak since August 2019, when they won eight straight. The Mets swept the Diamondbacks and the Orioles to complete a 5-0 homestand.
“This is my second year coming off of Tommy John and I feel confident of myself,” said Walker, who has a 2.20 ERA through seven starts. “I don't care if I'm proving people wrong or not. I