Herb G - Two Matts Make Their Mark, Perpetual Pedro Returns, Is Lucas Lost? Ike, Byrd, Spin & the Pen.

Matt Harvey looked sharp warming up in the bull pen for the game with the Marlins. Strike after strike made a loud thwack in Anthony Recker’s glove as Harvey threw to the target with each pitch. He looked like a man with a purpose. "He was definitely locked in," Recker said after the game, "throwing strikes down in the zone. And then he went out there and took it out into the game, which is really impressive."

The way Harvey “took it out into the game” would have been absolute perfection, save for Omar Quintanilla’s fielding error on a routine ground ball. Harvey, however, was totally dominant, with no hits, no walks and 5 strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Although the Marlins’ lineup is no “murderer’s row”, I couldn’t help but be overly impressed with Harvey’s outing. I can see young Matt emerging as a true ace as this season progresses. You have to be excited about this kid.

The other Matt, double D, finally did something to show his bat may be waking up, and none too soon. A 2 for 3 day with a long home run to center field and a line drive single to center were just what the doctor ordered. It is still unlikely that den Dekker will start the season in Queens since Nieuwenhuis seems to be making progress recovering from a bone bruise. But if he can get off to a strong start offensively in Las Vegas, his stellar glove might earn him a call up at some point during the season. It all depends on how the outfield the Mets have cobbled together gels.

Pedro Feliciano looked good as he warmed up, throwing from a three quarter arm slot, getting ready for his first outing of the spring. When he came in to replace Harvey with one out in the fifth inning, he got his job done without a hitch. Facing two left handed batters, he got Chris Coughlin to ground out to short and Casey Kotchman to fly out to den Dekker in center. Dan Warthen had previously told me that he thought Pedro was coming along well, and it looks as if he is right. Feliciano has to be regarded as a strong contender for one of the lefty spots in the pen, with Josh Edgin, who pitched an almost perfect sixth, seemingly a lock for another. The first two batters Edgin faced hit solid liners, but Figgins’ line drive was right at Ike Davis, and Zach Cox’s rope was snagged by Brandon Hicks before it could get past him. Juan Pierre barely beat out an infield hit to short, but then Edgin struck out Nick Green swinging.

Lucas Duda looked totally lost at the plate against Ricky Nolasco. After flailing at a low outside breaking ball, he swung and missed high heat, only to chase another breaking ball in the dirt. He did not look too much better facing Mitch Talbot, who the Mets would rake for 4 hits and 3 runs later in the game, taking a called third strike. That brings his total to 10 strikeouts in 19 at bats this spring. Is it an understatement to say that a 52.6% strikeout rate is not very good.  Lucas seems to be a sure starter in the Mets so-called outfield this year, but he may not hold that position for very long if he doesn’t pick his game up.

A few miscellaneous notes. Ike looked good at the plate with a sharply hit double down the right field line against the Marlins’ ace and a single up the middle against Talbot. Marlon Byrd continued in his quest for a spot on the opening day roster, going 1 for 2. And although Valdespin didn’t do anything at the plate, he showed his range with a fine running over the shoulder catch of a pop foul down the right field line. I continue to feel that Spin is not a natural outfielder, and the Mets will get burned if they count on him to play there, especially if they put him out in center. But he is a good fielding second baseman, and he could contribute there, if Alderson includes Murphy in a trade for an outfielder during the season.

The bull pen came through with a strong performance in 4.2 innings of relief, giving up almost nothing until there were 2 outs in the ninth. (It’s a relief to be able to say that.) I finally got the chance to watch Greg Burke work. He was a bit of an enigma to me. Warming up in the bull pen, with an almost submarine motion, half his pitches (well, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration) were in the dirt. I guess he was trying to keep his pitches well down in the zone. When he came in, however, he threw mostly strikes. Maybe too many strikes. The first batter he faced, Christian Yelich, flied out Jamie Hoffmann on the warning track in deep left field. Then after striking out Nick Green, J.T. Realmuto homered to even deeper left field. He closed out the game with another strikeout.

Speaking of Jamie Hoffmann, I was getting a hot dog and so I missed his great catch, robbing Chris Valaika of a home run in the seventh, but it looked pretty nifty on the replay. And just for the record, the Mets are 3-0 in games I have attended so far this spring.