MLB PLAYER NEWS

Matz makes historic debut in Mets win

The Sports Xchange

June 28, 2015 at 10:41 pm.

Steven Matz had a memorable MLB debut. (Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports)

NEW YORK — When New York Mets manager Terry Collins saw left-hander Steven Matz in spring training, he knew the promising prospect was ready for the majors. However, even Collins couldn’t have had any idea how ready Matz really was.

Matz was promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon, and he produced a major league debut for the ages. He threw 7 2/3 solid innings and adding three hits and four RBIs at the plate during the Mets’ 7-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field.

“We saw a man walking onto the mound in spring training,” Collins said. “He’s an impressive kid.”

Matz, 24, was even better with the bat than with his left arm Sunday. In the second inning, he crushed a two-run double to deep center to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. He delivered a hit-and-run single to extend a run-scoring rally in the fifth, and he laced a two-run single into right-center field in the sixth.

Thanks to Matz, the scuffling Mets scored as many runs Sunday as they did in their previous four games combined.

“Any way you can help yourself is obviously a good thing,” said Mets right fielder Curtis Granderson, whose three solo homers in the previous four games made him the Mets’ hottest hitter prior to Matz’s arrival. “And he did that today.”

Granderson said attending big league camp with the Mets likely helped Matz immediately find his comfort zone Sunday.

“This isn’t the first time with these guys,” Granderson said. “They know a little bit about (him), and we know a little bit about him. So when he finally does come up here to make his debut, everyone’s just, ‘Hey, there he is again. It’s been a little bit of time, but better late than never. Now just go out there and do what we know you’re capable of.’ And sure enough, he did that today.”

The seismic debut capped a rise equal parts methodical and meteoric for Matz, who was selected by the Mets in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Long Island’s Ward Melville High School, located about 50 miles east of Citi Field. Matz underwent Tommy John surgery before he ever threw a professional pitch and missed the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

“For a young guy, he’s come a long way,” Collins said. “I was at the first game he ever pitched in professional baseball.”

Matz said Saturday, when he met with the media for the first time, that there were times when it was hard to imagine making it all the way to the majors.

“It seemed pretty far off, that’s for sure,” he said. “Obviously, you’re in it to make it to the big leagues, and that’s what your goal is, so it didn’t seem completely out of the question, but it did seem really far away.”

Once be began pitching competitively again in 2012, Matz wasted little time soaring through the system. He entered this season with a 2.32 EAR and 286 strikeouts in 276 innings, only 71 1/3 of which he produced above Class A.

Matz was even more impressive upon moving to Triple-A Las Vegas, which plays in the hitter-happy Pacific Coast League. He went 7-4 with a 2.19 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings over 15 games (14 starts) prior to his promotion.

“I knew Vegas was a tough league to pitch in,” Matz said Saturday. “Was just looking forward to that step. I really didn’t realize how close I was at this point nine months ago.”

On Friday, Collins, who spent 11 seasons playing and managing in the Pacific Coast League, said Matz “might so far put up the best numbers I’ve ever seen anybody pitch in that ballpark in Las Vegas, in that league.

“We’ll see how he does up here.”

So far, so good.

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