Harvey gives up just two hits as Mets blank White Sox

[May 31, 2016]  By Jerry Beach, The Sports Xchange
 
 NEW YORK -- First, struggling New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey threw seven shutout innings.

Then, Neil Walker ensured a redemptive day for Harvey would also include a chance at atonement for closer Jeurys Familia.

Walker's homer leading off the bottom of the seventh put Harvey in line for the win Monday, when the Mets edged the Chicago White Sox, 1-0, at Citi Field.

Harvey (4-7) entered Monday with a 6.08 ERA, the second-highest mark in the National League. But he looked like the Harvey of 2013 in limiting the White Sox to two hits while walking none and striking out six in his longest outing of the season.

"Guy goes out there and throws a shutout and you're able to give him that lead, especially when he's coming out of the game after he throws (a) solid seven innings, it feels good," Walker said. "He got what he deserved today."

Harvey, who allowed one hit over nine innings against the White Sox in his previous start against Chicago on May 7, 2013, unveiled a few 98 mile per hour fastballs to go along with a low-90s slider Monday, when he retired the first 13 batters he faced before J.B. Shuck laced a clean single to right.

"For all the notoriety of him struggling, he wasn't struggling today," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "I thought he threw great."

Shuck was doubled up on Brett Lawrie's liner to first and Harvey faced the minimum until the seventh, when Adam Eaton drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a single by Jose Abreu.

"When it's 0-0 and you let a couple runners on like that, you kind of think about the worst when things haven't been going that great," Harvey said.

The runners advanced on a bunt by Melky Cabrera, after which Harvey got out of the jam by retiring Todd Frazier on a pop-up and Shuck on a grounder to short.

Harvey, who didn't pitch beyond the sixth in any of his first 10 starts, pumped his right fist and slapped his glove as the crowd of 38,339 gave him a standing ovation.

"It's obviously a lot of emotions," said Harvey, who was 0-3 with a 10.80 ERA in his previous three starts. "The idea is to do everything you can to help the team and I felt like I wasn't doing that very well.

"Today, to go out in a one-run ballgame like that, to be able to put up zeroes was very exciting."

Walker snapped the scoreless tie on the second pitch of the bottom of the seventh when he homered just beyond the left-field wall against White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana (5-5).

Addison Reed threw a perfect eighth before Familia bounced back from his recent struggles with a 1-2-3 ninth for the Mets (29-21), who have won seven of their last 10.

Familia took the loss Sunday, when he gave up two runs in a tie game in the ninth, and allowed four runs in a non-save situation Friday.

"You've got to get two guys back in the mix, get the confidence built up back in both of them," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We couldn't have set a better stage. ... To get those guys pitching the way they did tonight I thought was really, really good."

The save was the 17th in as many tries this season for Familia, who has converted a team-record 33 straight save chances.

"I know everybody has confidence in me," Familia said. "I know how to move forward when I have a bad outing."

Quintana took the hard-luck loss after allowing the one run on six hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven innings. The White Sox (27-25) have lost seven straight and 13 of 16. Quintana has lost his last four starts, during which Chicago has scored three runs with him on the mound.

"This is stuff we see out of him all the time," Ventura said. "If we could score he would have a better record. Everybody would know his name."

NOTES: The White Sox recalled OF J.B. Shuck from Triple-A Charlotte and optioned RHP Tommy Kahnle to the same affiliate. Shuck started in center field and went 1-for-3 in place of OF Austin Jackson, who suffered a turf toe injury Sunday. Jackson is expected to miss at least a few days but manager Robin Ventura said he hopes Jackson can avoid the disabled list. ... White Sox LHP Jose Quintana made his first career appearance against the Mets, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2006. ... Mets 3B David Wright (neck) missed his third straight game and said afterward that he has been diagnosed with a herniated disk, though he is hopeful of staying off the disabled list. ... Mets 3B Ty Kelly recorded his first major league hit when he singled in the fifth.

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