Mets' starting pitcher Matt Harvey started game one of a doubleheader against the Braves on Tuesday, and has made the most of day baseball by striking out 13 batters in seven innings. The thing is, he had a no-hitter going until the seventh inning, when Jason Heyward -- who Harvey made look silly in the first inning on a 100-mph fastball -- hit an infield single to break things up.
Lucas Duda fails to cover 1B, Matt Harvey’s no-hit bid fails
The pitch count might have ended it anyway, but now we’ll never know after Duda failed to cover first base.
Scott Cunningham
It’s not as simple as that, though. The single happened for two reasons: Mets’ first baseman Lucas Duda failed to cover first base, and, alternatively, Harvey failed to recognize this and threw the ball to first anyway, rather than attempt to tag Heyward.
We can assign blame to one of the two -- or hey, both -- but It’s hard to ignore that he finished the inning with 103 pitches, despite that being the lone hit, and Heyward running into an out in a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out later in the frame. Harvey was going to have a difficult time getting the no-hitter anyway, even ignoring the basic random nature of the event.
Instead, let’s just appreciate that, mistake(s) at first base be damned, Harvey is having himself a hell of a day against the Braves, one in which he’s tearing through their lineup with ease.
More from SB Nation:
See More:
