Oct. 21--Steven Matz made only six major-league starts before his foray into the playoffs this season, so he had never been to Wrigley Field before the Mets traveled to Chicago for the National League Championship Series this week.
He and fellow Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom took it upon themselves to tour the ballpark Monday, including going atop the famed scoreboard.
"I just think of how old it is," Matz said. "So we just wanted to check it out and soak it in as much as we can. ... We got up to the scoreboard, looked around, checked out all the scenery and stuff, so it was pretty cool."
In Game 4 of the NLCS on Wednesday, the Cubs will be getting a first look at Matz, a left-hander who is far from old.
The 24-year-old rookie went 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA and 34 strikeouts in his six regular-season appearances in a season slowed by a partially torn back muscle. He then gave up three earned runs in five innings in his only playoff start, a Game 4 loss to the Dodgers.
"This guy's got plus stuff," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Matz. "He's got a plus fastball. He's going to be 94 to 97. He's got a plus curveball. He's got a good changeup. Now it's a matter of going out there every five days through the course of the season. Next year it's going to be a matter of making sure he stays healthy. ... If this guy runs out there 28-30 times, he's going to win some ballgames for you."
Matz's start Wednesday will be just the second time he has pitched since Sept. 24, but he said pitching on extended rest isn't a problem.
"It hasn't been too challenging," Matz said. "I'm still able to get my work in between starts. You're not on necessarily a routine as much as during the regular season. But ... I still feel fresh for each start."
Cubs Game 4 starter Jason Hammel has a bit more playoff experience than Matz, having made five appearances for four teams in the playoffs. He pitched three innings in the Cubs' Game 4 victory over the Cardinals in the NL Division Series and also recorded his only postseason hit, run and RBI -- "probably the best hit of my career," he said.
He thought he was helped along in that outing by the Wrigley Field crowd.
"Obviously they've been dying for a winner for a long time, and here it is," Hammel said.
"So I think they have a big, big impact on the game. It did on me. It was the first time I actually had a little bit of jitters because so much energy was pulsing through me for the fans. They play a big part."
He'll be pitching under big pressure again, but he said he isn't too worried about it.
"Pressure is what you make of it," Hammel said. "I honestly believe if I'm pressuring myself, I'm worried about the wrong thing. ... I'll be prepared with my game plan, go back and watch what I did when I faced the Mets earlier this year, and we'll kind of go off of that."
ckane@tribpub.com
