Confirmed: The Rockies Caught A Break By Missing Matt Harvey

As the starting rotations for the Colorado Rockies and the New York Mets were shuffled during their snowy series last week, I noted that the Rockies caught a significant break when the 4th game of the series was postponed beyond this week. The reason that was a lucky break? Sensational starting pitcher Matt Harvey.

Yea, him. Image: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With the various hiccups in the Mets schedule, Harvey ended up being the projected starter for what would have been the final game of the series Thursday. Given how spectacular he has been this season, it would have been difficult for the Rockies to sustain their winning streak. Instead the Rockies faced Jon Niese, who is a good pitcher in his own right, but is certainly more beatable. And that’s exactly what the Rockies did.

Harvey then pitched game one against the Washington Nationals Friday night in what became a marquee match-up: Matt Harvey vs. Stephen Strasburg. All Harvey did was chuck 7 innings, give up 1 run, notch 7 K’s and work out of a bases loaded jam in his final inning. By giving up that single run, his ERA went up. More from Bill Baer over at Hardball Talk:

"Harvey hit 96 MPH throughout the game, even on the 104th pitch of his 105-pitch outing. Despite the seven-inning, one-run performance, Harvey’s ERA went up from 0.82 to 0.93."

He out-dueled a popular Cy Young pick and defeated a team many have in the World Series. It’s only one game in a long season, but it was a darned impressive game. Harvey is garnering buzz as the next big thing, as he should be. So yes, the Rockies caught a break by missing a match-up with him this week.