Not long ago, a pitching matchup of Matt Harvey versus Gerrit Cole in early June would have amounted to a summer blockbuster — a marquee attraction featuring two of baseball’s finest young right arms.
Facing off Friday at Citi Field — Harvey for the Mets and Cole for the Pittsburgh Pirates — the aura had withered somewhat. Both pitchers, both named All-Stars within their first three major league seasons, posted gaudy numbers, but not the kind they would have liked. They combined for 13 runs allowed, all earned, with neither pitcher lasting past the sixth inning.