Field Level Media
May 12, 2021
Dominic Smith, Kevin Pillar and Jose Peraza each drove in two runs Wednesday afternoon as the surging New York Mets spoiled Matt Harvey's return to Citi Field with a 7-1 win against the Baltimore Orioles.
Taijuan Walker out-dueled Harvey and the Mets completed a brief interleague sweep of the Orioles.
New York went 5-0 on a homestand against the Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks and has won seven straight. Baltimore has lost five of six.
Walker (3-1) allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out four over seven innings. It was the third time in four starts Walker has gone seven innings and allowed one run or fewer, a span in which he's lowered his ERA from 3.21 to 2.20.
Harvey, who burst on to the scene with the Mets in 2012, started for the National League in the All-Star Game at Citi Field in 2013 and helped New York reach the World Series in 2015 before injuries began derailing his career in 2016.
Harvey (3-3) gave up all seven runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out four over 4 1/3 innings. It was his first start at Citi Field since April 14, 2018, less than a month before he was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher Devin Mesoraco.
Harvey received a standing ovation when he took the mound and tossed a perfect first before the Mets opened the second with four straight hits. Pillar laced a two-run triple and Peraza hit an RBI single on back-to-back pitches.
Smith had an RBI single in the third and the Mets chased Harvey in the fifth, when Michael Conforto delivered an RBI single, Smith greeted Shawn Armstrong with a run-scoring double and Peraza beat out an RBI infield single.
Walker carried a one-hitter into the sixth and a shutout into the seventh, when Freddy Galvis drew a leadoff walk, went to third on a single by Rio Ruiz and scored on Chance Sisco's groundout.
Trey Mancini had two of the Orioles' five hits.
--Field Level Media