NEW YORK -- Starting Matt Harvey on short rest in Game 4 of the World Series is not going to happen under any circumstances in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, manager Terry Collins confirmed. So even if the New York Mets face elimination Saturday night against the Kansas City Royals, rookie Steven Matz will be on the mound at Citi Field.
A native Long Islander, Matz actually will be commuting from his childhood home in Stony Brook. He did so for his starts late in the regular season, too, upon returning from a two-month disabled-list stint for a lat strain.
"We're on off hours, so there's not much traffic," Matz said. "It's not too terrible. It's been pretty awesome to be able to do that."
Matz is 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA through two postseason starts. He last pitched on Oct. 21, when he limited the Chicago Cubs to one run in 4 2/3 innings, albeit while requiring 76 pitches.
Matz is only 24 years old. And if you want to feel old, consider his answer when asked which players were his favorite while growing up on Long Island.
"My favorite player was always changing," Matz said. "I loved Johan [Santana]. I loved Mike Piazza. I remember Endy Chavez making that catch in 2006. And then the World Series, obviously, in 2000 -- the Subway Series was a lot of fun to watch."
Matz added about growing up a Mets fan at a time when the New York Yankees were at the height of their success: "When I was that age I wasn't so focused on being a fan. I was more focused on playing myself. But I definitely did hear a lot from the Yankee fans about that, for sure."
