Matt Harvey pitches, hits Mets to win over Reds

CINCINNATI -- With a struggling offense and a starting rotation that hasn't been all that impressive lately, let's just say it's been a while since Terry Collins woke up feeling rather vibrant.

"I haven't had a fresh head in a couple of weeks in the morning," the Mets manager said before last night's series finale against the Reds. "We've got to shake this up. We've got to get something going here and we are going to do it with the guys in that room."

So Collins juggled his lineup, giving Daniel Murphy and Josh Thole a night off and inserting Jason Bay, Scott Hairston, Justin Turner and newcomer Kelly Shoppach. Turns out, though, it was the guy making just his fifth major-league start who had the night's most impactful swing.

Starting pitcher Matt Harvey doubled in a pair of runs and Ike Davis added a solo homer in the Mets' three-run fourth inning in an 8-4 win. Bay even got into the act against Reds starter Homer Bailey (10-8), drilling a shot into the rightfield stands in the sixth for a 4-0 bulge to help propel Harvey to his second victory in five decisions.

"What you saw tonight was a little taste of what this guy is going to be able to do," Collins said. "When he's got the command going like he did tonight, he's going to be tough to hit."

Frank Francisco allowed three runs on four hits and a walk in the ninth and Jon Rauch needed to come in to get the final out for his third save, averting a potential meltdown on the heels of Harvey's solid performance.

"He was great," Francisco said. "He was probably shaking in here while I was out there."

Harvey (2-3), who pitched a career-best 7 2/3 innings, was even more brilliant on the mound than he was at the plate, tossing four perfect innings. His perfect game ended when he hit Ryan Ludwick to lead off the fifth. Scott Rolen's two-out infield chopper to second ended Harvey's shot at a no-hitter, and that was the only hit the 23-year-old yielded until Brandon Phillips' leadoff double in the seventh. Jay Bruce's one-out RBI double ended his bid for a shutout.

Harvey, who lowered his ERA to 3.00, allowed four hits and one run. He struck out eight, walked only one and threw 89 pitches before exiting in the eighth with two outs and runners on first and second. He has 34 strikeouts, the second-most in a rookie pitcher's first five career starts in franchise history. Dwight Gooden had 36 in 1984.

"Coming off five walks in one game, that's the last thing you want to do two times in a row," Harvey said. "So, from the first inning and the get-go, I really wanted to come out and attack. Going 7 2/3, I'm happy with. There's still things I need to work on, but overall I'm pretty happy."

Harvey's bat helped ignite the Mets' struggling offense, too. The Mets had scored more than three runs in just three of their previous eight games and perhaps no one was colder than Bay.

Since getting relegated to a $66-million platoon player last week, Bay hasn't done anything to prove he's snapping out of his season-long funk. But he drilled that opposite-field homer, making Collins look good with his decision to pencil him into the seventh spot against the righthanded Bailey.

"I've kind of adjusted to the role I'm in now," Bay said, "and it's actually provided me a little more time to work on some things, and maybe go out there and have some results because of that. But I've felt good before with no results.

"So, to get a couple of results and just to kind of provide that little spark, hopefully, that little flint to get you going a little bit."