Matt Harvey Owns the Phillies

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How did the Phillies lose two of three in a series to the Mets, you ask? It’s almost not even fair when Matt Harvey gets to pitch one of those games.

Harvey has started 30 games in the Major Leagues since his call-up last July, five of those against the Phils already – more than any other opponent. Unfortunately the All-Star right-hander just happens to be posting better numbers against the Fightins than any of the other eight teams he’s faced on more than one occasion, not to mention a fair number of clubs he’s battled only once as well.

With stats like these, it’s no secret why New York is almost automatic (4-1) when Harvey is seeing Philly red. The Phillies get very little leeway in a three-game set.

Domonic Brown is 0 for 8 versus Harvey, and struck out four times in four at bats on Sunday. Jimmy Rollins and Michael Young are each 1 for 9. The only player in the Phillies’ clubhouse who has experienced any significant amount of success off of Harvey at all is Chase Utley, who moved up to 3 for 8 lifetime with a double in Sunday’s loss.

Obviously it was another gem for Harvey, who went seven strong, surrendering zero runs on three hits and striking out 10 in a 5-0 victory, his eighth. Impressive as that is, the box score doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story.

23 swings-and-misses on 112 pitches? Yikes. Did we mention he’s only 24? Yeah, he’s only 24 – and not going anywhere for a long, long time.

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