New York Mets
Harvey looks to finish off Mets' series against Pirates (May 28, 2017)
New York Mets

Harvey looks to finish off Mets' series against Pirates (May 28, 2017)

Published May. 28, 2017 1:19 a.m. ET

PITTSBURGH -- Matt Harvey, you're up.

The right-hander is scheduled to start for the New York Mets when they meet the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in the final game of a weekend series on Sunday night.

The Mets, who have lost four of their past six games after dropping Saturday's contest 5-4 to Pittsburgh, have some pitching woes.

Their starters aren't giving them enough innings often enough -- Jacob deGrom's win in 8 2/3 innings Friday against the Pirates being an exception.

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The bullpen is often overtaxed. And starters Noah Syndergaard (right lat muscle injury) and Steven Matz (left elbow inflammation) are out with no set return date.

New York could use more of what deGrom gave them.

"He did exactly what we needed," Mets Manager Terry Collins said. "He got us extremely deep in the game."

On Saturday, Zack Wheeler got the Mets through six innings -- just the fourth time in his past nine starts he has lasted through six -- and left with a 4-3 lead.

But the New York bullpen blew it when the Pirates tied it in the ninth against reliever Addison Reed.

"The way I'm pitching right now is unacceptable," Reed said. "It's not what is expected of me. It's not what I'm getting paid for. I have to pitch better than this because right now it's just unacceptable."

Pittsburgh then won it in the 10th against Tyler Pill, pressed into making his major league debut in a pressure situation, and Josh Edgin.

Collins had hoped for more from Wheeler, but said going into the seventh, "Zack got a blister on his finger, he said it wasn't really bothering him but it looked pretty bad. I said, 'Hey, we've just got to get six outs to get the ball to Addison,' so I felt great.

"We got out of the seventh, we got out of the eighth and we gave the ball to Addison Reed. We were right where we wanted. ... I got the ball to the guy I wanted to get it to. We wanted outs, we didn't get them. It's just one of those things."

One of the types of things that has contributed to the Mets' 20-27 record, more specifically.

Harvey (3-3, 5.36 ERA) is 0-1 in three career starts against Pittsburgh but has not faced the Pirates since 2015.

He's coming off of a win Tuesday as the Mets beat San Diego 9-3, but he only lasted five innings, giving up two runs on three hits, striking out six and walking four. It was the fourth time he has allowed two runs or fewer in a start this season.

Harvey's control has been a little off. He has walked 26 batters in 50 1/3 innings, compared with 25 walks in 92 2/3 innings last season.

The scheduled starter for Pittsburgh (23-27) is Tyler Glasnow (2-3, 6.69 ERA), who has never faced the Mets.

He will be making his 10th start, and it has been trying at times for the 23-year-old who began the season in the major leagues for the first time.

On Tuesday at Atlanta, he had one of his better outings in a no-decision, allowing two runs in six innings, but a long rain delay cost him a win as the Braves came back for a 6-5 walk-off win. He also went 3-for-3 at the plate.

"Another step forward," manager Clint Hurdle said of Glasnow.

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