NEW YORK -- For quite a while, Matt Harvey has searched for the answers that could reverse his uncharacteristically difficult start to the season. He seemed to find them on Monday, allowing just two hits and one walk with six strikeouts over seven shutout innings in a 1-0 win over the White Sox.
Harvey entered the Mets' series opener against Chicago with a 3-7 record and a 6.08 ERA, but with his fastball touching 98 mph, he retired the first 13 batters he faced before J.B. Shuck singled to right in the fifth inning. After first baseman Wilmer Flores doubled off Shuck following a diving catch on a line drive by Brett Lawrie, Harvey faced the minimum through six.
Harvey entered Monday's outing having allowed a .509 average when facing a batter for the third time, and the White Sox threatened to get to the right-hander toward the end of his outing. Harvey walked Adam Eaton to begin the seventh and then surrendered a single to Jose Abreu. Melky Cabrera advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, but Harvey managed to escape the inning unscathed by getting Todd Frazier to pop out and Shuck to ground out.
Walker's solo shot
CWS@NYM: Walker belts a solo shot to left-center
Neil Walker connects for a solo homer to left-center field off Jose Quintana, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 7th
Neil Walker connected on his 12th home run in the bottom of the seventh to put Harvey in line for the victory.
In two outings against the White Sox -- the first was a shutout gem on May 7, 2013 -- Harvey has surrendered three hits over 16 shutout innings while striking out 18.
Troy Provost-Heron is a reporter for MLB.com based in New York. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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