Matt Harvey, Kevin Plawecki making connection with Mets

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — In a backstop ballet straight out of a backfields drill, Kevin Plawecki and Matt Harvey combined for perhaps the prettiest defensive out of the Mets’ exhibition season Thursday afternoon, a highlight of both their days.

Harvey threw a pitch in the dirt — Plawecki said he should have blocked it — and the catcher chased it toward the home dugout. In one motion, Plawecki slid, barehanded the ball, threw it to Harvey and tumbled over, his back turned to the play as Harvey applied the tag at home. Lewis Brinson, the Marlins’ fast outfield prospect who was trying to score from third, was out.

“I honestly didn’t know if it was even going to be close,” Plawecki said. “Good to get an out.”

Together, Plawecki and Harvey got a bunch of outs against Miami. Harvey lasted five innings (81 pitches), striking out eight and allowing three runs, six hits and a walk. With only one or two more Grapefruit League starts to go, Harvey was pleased generally with where he’s at two weeks before Opening Day and pleased specifically with his changeup, which he said was working against both lefties and righties.

Plawecki was hitless in three at-bats (dropping his average to .333 and OPS to .938), but continued to earn effusive praise from manager Mickey Callaway for his overall game.

“The kid is a good athlete,” Callaway said. “He’s swinging the bat well. And I feel like he’s controlling the game behind the plate. A catcher that can do those three things, that’s pretty good.”

Callaway pointed to how Plawecki handled the eighth inning, when AJ Ramos allowed three runs and the defense made two errors, as an example.

“Things weren’t going great. He went out there [to talk to Ramos],” Callaway said. “And Ramos was almost telling him hey, no, go back, I got it. And Plawecki kept on going and tried to settle him down and get him where he needed to be.

“Those type of things are what a catcher should be doing — making sure the pitcher is in a good spot at all times. I think he’s doing a really good job of that.”

Harvey said he “loves” pitching to Plawecki, and that connection is an important one.

Callaway has said Plawecki could wind up playing against opposing righthanded starters (with Travis d’Arnaud getting lefties), which would result in him getting a majority of the playing time.

Harvey has thrown to Plawecki in 29 games — only five last year — and has decent numbers: 3.76 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.08 strikeouts per walk. The only catcher he has thrown to more often in the majors is d’Arnaud (32 games) and the numbers are on the whole a little worse (4.88 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 3.65 strikeouts per walk), though to be fair there are more significant variables at work there than the catcher.

After splitting time between the majors and minors the past three years, Plawecki might finally be getting his chance. And it has shown in his confidence.

“You can tell,” Harvey said. “You can see it in the locker room, you can see it with his everyday work. He’s determined to be successful. I love throwing to him. It’s good having him back there.”

Harvey’s confidence, too, has been building, Callaway said.

In his outing Thursday, Harvey said he got “out of whack” in the third inning. It led to three runs, three solid-contact singles, a wild pitch and a walk to pitcher Dillon Peters.

“Things kind of unraveled,” Harvey said.

Said Callaway: “The pitcher was trying to give us an out [by bunting].”

Harvey straightened out by retiring six of his last seven hitters, including his final five via strikeouts.

“That was the biggest thing I’d take from the start,” Harvey said. “Being able to get out of rhythm and give up a couple of runs and then battle back and finish strong and get into that fifth inning.

“Definitely a lot closer [to being ready for the season]. Today was definitely a big jump in the right direction. We’re geared up and ready to go.”