PITTSBURGH — What does a guy have to do for a win with the Mets?
Matt Harvey has tried to avoid pondering the question after pitching 15 scoreless innings combined over his last two starts, both of which resulted in a no-decision.
Harvey (5-1, 1.98 ERA) will get the ball on Saturday against the Pirates at PNC Park.
“I can’t be frustrated about wins or losses,” Harvey said before the Mets lost 4-1 on Friday. “You have to worry about performance and the team overall, and I think having [Tommy John] surgery and realizing there’s a lot more things important than your win-loss record and after not pitching a whole year, I’m just happy to be out there and go seven or eight innings and be healthy.”
Harvey pitched eight shutout innings against the Cardinals on Monday before Jeurys Familia surrendered a run in the ninth to make it 1-1. The Mets won the game in 14 innings.
In his prior start, Harvey pitched seven shutout innings against the Cubs and left with the Mets nursing a 1-0 lead before the bullpen surrendered two runs in the loss.
But Harvey is philosophical about the situation.
“There was a stretch there at the beginning where I didn’t have that great of starts and gave up a couple of runs and the guys put up six runs and I got a win,” Harvey said. “I would much rather go seven or eight innings and no runs and not get a decision if the team wins.”
Does Harvey value wins in an era they have become more marginalized as a statistic?
“I think maybe at some point you do, like when you’re younger — I am not saying I’m older — but when it comes to the win-loss stuff it’s out of your control,” Harvey said.
Bobby Parnell pitched a scoreless inning for Single-A St. Lucie in his rehab and is expected to join Vic Black at Double-A Binghamton for further work.
David Wright and Travis d’Arnaud both took batting practice in Port St. Lucie and could be in position to play rehab games next week, according to manager Terry Collins. D’Arnaud’s swings in the batting cage were his first since breaking his right pinkie last month. Wright hadn’t taken batting practice in more than two weeks because of lower-back stiffness.