Reaching Back

Monday was Throwback Night at Camden Yards. No, the Orioles didn't have a promotion honoring franchise legends such as the Robinsons, Weaver, Palmer or Ripken. Instead, the night's pitcher reminded us of the dominant force he once was -- years ago and 200 miles away up I-95.

Matt Harvey, whose star once shined so brightly for the Mets, hadn't done much after making the Orioles team in spring training: a win, a loss, two no-decisions and an ERA over 5. He hasn't posted a winning season since 2015, when he and the Mets last made the World Series. Yet, when he took the field against the Yankees, something kicked in. Maybe seeing New York on his opponents' shirts tapped a reservoir of the special sauce lost long thought lost. For the first five innings, all he allowed was a Gio Urshela single and couple of walks. He retired 11 batters in a row and looked unbeatable. And even when the Yankees broke through with a 6th inning run on back-to-back doubles by Stanton and Judge, he got the third out needed to end his night with the lead.

Baltimore's batters did the rest, especially Cedric Mullins, who homered twice, in the O's 4 - 2 victory. The W went to Harvey. No longer The Dark Knight, Harvey again looked capable. A big step compared to the pain and ineffectiveness of the five previous seasons.

And the Yankees woke up Tuesday morning wondering, "Who was that guy?"

 
 

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