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Coming into Friday's pitcher's duel between Matt Harvey and Stephen Strasburg, the young sensations had a stark contrast in their excitement for that battle.

Harvey, the New York Mets' ace, had some extra adrenaline for the matchup. Strasburg, however, didn't get caught up in it all, viewing it as just another game.

"It's funny, because you guys want to make a big deal out of all this, but every game is huge for me. I want to go out there and I want to help this team win," said Strasburg, the Washington Nationals' ace. "It doesn't matter who's facing us, we're all out there as a collective group to go out there and try to get the job done, and we weren't able to do that tonight."

In the first battle between the teams' young studs, Strasburg took the loss in round one as he gave up four runs in six innings in the Mets' 7-1 win Friday. Strasburg gave up only two earned runs, as two came off an error, but a pair of home runs in the sixth inning gave the Mets some breathing room.

"Not good enough. It's tough, want to go out there and feel great every time and it was kind of a struggle again," Strasburg said after dropping to 1-3. "It's still early, I have to keep battling and keep working hard, and I know it's going to come."

As Harvey came out and blew away Washington's hitters, Strasburg immediately fell behind 2-0. An error on leadoff hitter Jordany Valdespin's grounder resulted in a run, due to a wild pitch, and with the chance to keep it at 1-0, Strasburg served up a single to John Buck that made it 2-0.

Strasburg kept the score at 2-0 for the next four innings, but a pair of long balls in the sixth doubled the score. After previously striking out Ike Davis twice, Strasburg gave up a solo shot that made it 3-0. Two batters later, he surrendered another solo shot to Lucas Duda that made it 4-0.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Strasburg kept the team in the game but that missing spots and consistently falling behind hitters hurt him. Strasburg, who has lost three straight starts, said he has had been costing himself early in the game and hasn't been able to manage quick innings.

"You don't want to go out there and give up some runs early but I was happy I was able to battle and keep the team in the game as long as I could," Strasburg said. "They just put some good swings on balls in the sixth."

Although Harvey won the battle Friday night, Strasburg won the battle at the plate as he secured Washington's first hit with a double to right in the third. Strasburg complimented Harvey for his performance, as Harvey gave up just one run in seven innings while striking out seven.

"He's got good stuff. He's pounding the strike zone. It's still early obviously; a lot of our guys haven't really faced him much," Strasburg said. "That's going to be the big thing, us being able to make adjustments as the season goes on and going out there and getting it done."

New York Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey said earlier this week that he was very keyed up to match up with Washington Nationals starter on Friday night.

Thus far this season, Harvey has proven to be the better of the two and Friday did nothing to change that.

Let’s run through the accolades for Harvey, whose 102 strikeouts in his first 14 apearances are the third-most in Mets history, trailing only Dwight Gooden (107) and Nolan Ryan (103).

What made him so good on Friday?
Harvey clearly was keyed up. He averaged a career-high 96.3 MPH on his fastball, and was able to do so without overthrowing.

He threw his heater for strikes at a 75 percent rate, the second-best strike rate he’s had with the pitch in any start. In fact, this was the first start in Harvey’s career in which more than half of the fastballs taken by the opposing team were called strikes (15 of 29).

The Nationals gave Harvey a lefty-laden lineup to face and he retired 14 of the 17 left-handed hitters.

Lefties are 6-for-60 with five walks against Harvey this season. Bryce Harper was 0-for-3 against Harvey and is 0-for-6 against him for his career.

Harvey had a very sharp breaking slider on Friday. He threw the pitch 26 times (the most he’s thrown it in any start) and got six outs with it, yielding just one baserunner.

How does he compare to his teammates?
Harvey is 4-0 with an 0.93 ERA and 0.66 WHIP, with 32 strikeouts in his four starts this season.

The other Mets starters are 2-6 with a 5.68 ERA and 1.68 WHIP, with 36 strikeouts in 11 starts.

How does Harvey compare to Strasburg?
On this night, Harvey was better than his mound counterpart.

Strasburg has now lost three straight starts for the second time in his career.

Strasburg allowed a 438-foot home run to Luca Duda and a 427-foot homer to Ike Davis, the two longest of his career.

Our video-review service credited the Mets with six “hard-hit” balls against Strasburg and only one against Harvey (Harper’s line drive that was caught by centerfielder Jordany Valdespin.

For the season, Harvey has been the better of the two pitchers in just about every respect. We’ve placed some of their numbers in the chart on the right to show notable areas in which Harvey has an edge.

All good streaks must come to an end
Two streaks of note concluded in this contest —- one being the Nationals eight-game win streak at Citi Field. It was their longest road winning streak against the Mets.

The other was a run of four straight Harvey starts dating back to last season in which he pitched at least seven innings, allowing one run or fewer and three hits or fewer. The Elias Sports Bureau tells us that he’s the only pitcher since 1900 to have four straight such appearances.

The new streak to look at is this one. Harvey has now made five straight starts in which he pitched at least seven innings, allowing one run or fewer and four hits or fewer.

The only pitcher to do that in the last 25 seasons was a pretty good one—Randy Johnson in 1997.

Stat of the Night
Harvey is the second pitcher in Mets history to win each of his first four starts of a season while allowing one earned run or fewer in each start.

David Cone did it in his first five starts in 1988.

Matt Harvey heard the "Har-vey's better!" chants from the Citi Field crowd, which compared him favorably to Stephen Strasburg.

"It's nice to hear, but I've got a long way to go to do something like that," Harvey said after limiting the Washington Nationals to one run in seven innings in a 7-1 win Friday night at Citi Field. "I appreciate the fans and the support and all that. But we're here to win. We're the New York Mets. It's not just one guy out there. Every time I take the ball I'm trying to win for the team."

Harvey, after working free of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh, ultimately improved to 4-0.

He became the first major league pitcher since Tim Hudson in 2007 and the first Met since Rick Reed in 2000 to open a season with four straight starts of seven-plus innings while allowing one run or fewer in each start.

His 102 strikeouts rank third in franchise history through 14 career games, trailing only Dwight Gooden (107) and Nolan Ryan (103). Gooden, who has regularly tweeted flattering comments about Harvey, attended Friday night's game.

Harvey said he noticed Gooden's presence on the JumboTron.

"I'm going to take the 24-hour rule and definitely be happy about this start and this win," Harvey said after limiting the Nats to four hits and three walks in a 105-pitch effort. "And after it's over, tomorrow, it's time to work hard and get prepared for the next start."

Terry Collins and John Buck said the seventh inning -- when Harvey held the score at 4-1 by overcoming an error by Daniel Murphy that loaded the bases with none out -- might have been bigger than the six scoreless innings that preceded it.

"There were some very high-pressure situations and pitches I made him throw that were off-speed pitches," Buck said. "So if he gets amped up or overthrows it at all, we don't get the ground ball, we don't get the popup. He doesn't get that stuff. To me, that's impressive. They were touch-and-feel pitches in very high and tense situations. For a young guy to be able to do that is very impressive."

"That was a big challenge -- bases loaded with no outs," Harvey agreed. "That's a tough lineup. At any point it felt like it could unravel and things could have gone the other way."

Harvey confessed he was amped up early by the matchup with Strasburg.

"I think I learned from tonight's start. I came out the first inning a little bit too pumped up," Harvey said. "As the start went on, I could feel my body starting to get a little tired. That was really my first big Friday night, I guess you could say."

Buck, though, wasn't so sure Harvey had extra adrenaline Friday night.

"I know you want me to say yeah, but he functions at such a high octane already," Buck said. "To be honest, I really don't think he cares who he's facing. He is the way he is. That's what makes him so good, because it doesn't matter who he's facing. That's Matt Harvey."

WHAT IT MEANS: The Citi Field crowd said it best, chanting in the sixth inning: "Har-vey’s better! Har-vey’s better!"

That certainly was the case at least on this night, in a hyped matchup between Matt Harvey and Stephen Strasburg.

Harvey took a scoreless effort against the Washington Nationals into the seventh inning. Then, after surrendering a run, he wriggled free of a bases-loaded, no-out jam that teammate Daniel Murphy helped create.

The final score: Mets 7, Nats 1.

The crowd, announced at a paid 26,675, included Dwight Gooden. Ike Davis and Lucas Duda each homered twice.

Harvey ultimately limited the Nats to one run on four hits and three walks while striking out seven in a 105-pitch effort spanning seven innings.

Harvey’s ERA actually rose to 0.93. He has limited opponents to 10 hits and nine walks while striking out 32 in 29 innings this season.

He became the first Met since Pedro Martinez in 2006 to earn the victory in each of his first four appearances of a season.

The tense moment came in the seventh, which Harvey entered working on a two-hit shutout.

Adam LaRoche opened the inning with a walk and Ian Desmond and Chad Tracy singled as the Nats pulled within 4-1.

Steve Lombardozzi then hit into a would-be 4-6-3 double play. But as Ruben Tejada crossed the bag, Murphy’s flip was behind him, toward the third-base side of the infield. The duo failed to connect. Instead, Washington had the bases loaded and none out, trailing by three runs.

Tejada received a visit from trainer Ray Ramirez, but remained in the game.

As Brandon Lyon warmed in the bullpen and Harvey’s pitch count approached triple-digits, the Mets’ ace stepped up.

Harvey struck out Kurt Suzuki and coaxed a foul pop-out to the catcher from Roger Bernadina, who was pinch-hitting for Strasburg. Denard Span then grounded out on Harvey’s final pitch as the Mets maintained a three-run lead.

Strasburg, who surrendered solo homers to Davis and Duda in the sixth that expanded the Mets’ lead to 4-0, matched a career high with his third straight loss. He allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks in six innings.

Davis also delivered a two-run shot in the eighth against Drew Storen. Duda again followed Davis' lead, with a solo shot that frame.

The Mets scored a pair of unearned runs in the first. Jordany Valdespin opened the half-inning by reaching on an error by Desmond at shortstop. Valdespin advanced to third on a single by Murphy and scored on a wild pitch. Murphy scored with two outs on a single by John Buck.

Harvey did not allow a hit until Strasburg’s one-out, opposite-field double in the third. The next hit came from Span on a single to open the sixth. Span was erased when the ensuing hitter, Jayson Werth, grounded into a double play.

WHAT’S NEXT: Jeremy Hefner, who served up two homers in an inning of relief Thursday at Colorado, starts for the first time since April 10. Hefner (0-2, 7.20 ERA) opposes left-hander Gio Gonzalez (1-1, 4.50) at 3:05 p.m. at Citi Field.

Terry Collins described Matt Harvey as extra grouchy for Friday’s start opposite Stephen Strasburg.

That’s a reflection of Harvey’s intensity, and a sense the right-hander believes this is an important measuring-stick moment in his young career.

“He was a little grouchy,” Collins said pregame. “He’s usually not quite that grouchy. When your manager walks up to you and the first thing you want to do is bite his head off, you’re a little bit on the edge.”

Collins actually tried to calm Harvey down to avoid him being too revved up for the start.

“I have a pretty good idea how he’s going to react, but I’m anxious to see him perform,” Collins said. “This is when the real good players step up. He’s still a young, young player yet. And we have to understand what he’s accomplished thus far is certainly outstanding, but he’s still a young guy.

“I just talked to him a little bit ago and tried to rein him down a little bit, because he’s sky-high at the moment. But I know he’s ready for it. I know he’s excited about it. He’s got a huge challenge on his hands.”

Collins suggested Strasburg, as a premier competitor himself, might feel something to prove as well given all the recent fawning over Harvey.

“There’s been so much made of what Matt has accomplished so far, I’m sure Stephen Strasburg is sitting in their dugout saying, ‘I’ve got a little of that, too,’” Collins said. “So it should be an interesting matchup, for sure.”

Collins actually made a Barry Bonds comparison with respect to Harvey. Those are the only two players Collins has heard articulate that they want to be the top player in Major League Baseball, the manager said.

“He wants to be the best that there is in the game,” Collins said about Harvey. “The last time I ever heard someone say that was Bonds. So it was a pretty big statement, I thought. All he’s done thus far is backed it up.”

Collins is not soft-peddling career expectations for Harvey.

“I think he is well-equipped to handle it," Collins said about the pressure associated with such hype. "I truly believe when you talk to this guy, his determination is what really sets him apart. It started a year ago. He just didn’t want to make the team. He wanted to be the best pitcher on the team. And now he’s on the team. And now he wants to be the best pitcher in the league.”

Curt Schilling says he would take Matt Harvey over any other pitcher, including Stephen Strasburg, because of health. Doug Glanville isn't so sure.

DENVER

FIRST PITCH: With a frigid road trip behind the Mets, they return home to Citi Field. And fans get a treat Friday night: Matt Harvey opposes Stephen Strasburg as the Mets begin a nine-game homestand with the Washington Nationals.

Harvey faced the Nats once during his rookie season. On Sept. 12 in Flushing, Harvey surrendered a solo homer to Ryan Zimmerman but no other damage while striking out 10 in five innings in what became a 2-0 loss. Bryce Harper went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Harvey.

During the remainder of this weekend’s series, Jeremy Hefner opposes Gio Gonzalez on Saturday, while Dillon Gee opposes Jordan Zimmermann in Sunday’s series finale.

Read the series preview.

Friday’s news reports:

• Travis d’Arnaud suffered a nondisplaced fracture of the first metatarsal in his left foot when he was struck with a foul ball in the sixth inning of Triple-A Las Vegas’ game Wednesday night. He has been placed in a walking boot and is due to be further examined at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan on Friday. The Mets did not immediately give a timetable, but d’Arnaud could be lost for two months.

D'Arnaud's 2012 season ended June 25 -- also in Las Vegas -- with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Columnist Joel Sherman writes in the New York Post:

As for d’Arnaud, remember the Mets sent him to the minors because they said he needed the game action, having been robbed of that due to back and knee injuries over the past few years. Now, a foul ball has broken a foot. Back and leg injuries are as problematic for a catcher of any age as, say, an ankle injury is for a shortstop.

The Mets were giddy so far this year that their supplemental piece to their big trade, [John] Buck, was outperforming R.A. Dickey. But no one was kidding himself. That deal from the Mets’ end is going to be judged by whether d’Arnaud honors the projections as a high-end offensive catcher.

Of course that is still possible. But let us also remember the ticking clock does not stop. D’Arnaud is no baby. He is 24 -- six months older than Jason Heyward. The Mets’ best-laid plans had d’Arnaud and Zack Wheeler breaking in this year and being part of a serial contending cornerstone for next season.

Read more on d’Arnaud’s injury in the Star-Ledger, Newsday, Times, Record, Daily News and Journal.

• Josh Edgin, Scott Atchison and Jeurys Familia combined to allow six runs in the seventh inning, and the Mets lost to the Rockies 11-3 on Thursday afternoon at Coors Field. The Mets dropped to .500. Read game recaps in the Times, Post, Star-Ledger, Newsday, Daily News and Record.

• On the Harvey-Strasburg matchup, Michael Salfino writes in the Journal:

Harvey's debut measures up favorably not only to Strasburg but to just about every noteworthy young hurler in the game's history. His 0.98 walks plus hits per inning beat the rates of legendary young hurlers including Mark Fidrych, Felix Hernandez, Fernando Valenzuela and Juan Marichal, according to Stats LLC.

That said, Strasburg's strikeout rate of 11.8 per nine innings to start his career beats Harvey's 10.5. And thus far in 2013, the Nationals' ace also edges Harvey in average fastball velocity, 95.7 to 94.3.

Read more in the Star-Ledger, Newsday and Daily News.

• Shaun Marcum tossed 41 pitches and did not allow a hit in four scoreless innings in an extended spring training game in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Lucas Duda sat Thursday, two days after leaving Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Rockies with back tightness. Terry Collins suggested Duda might return Friday night in the warmer climate in New York.

• Danny Muno had three RBIs in Binghamton’s 4-3 win against New Hampshire. Noah Syndergaard surrendered a career-high seven runs in St. Lucie’s 11-8 loss to Fort Myers. Brandon Nimmo was hitless in Lakewood’s 3-2 win against Savannah. Read the full minor league recap here.

• Sandy Alderson said pitching prospect Cory Mazzoni’s injury is limited to elbow inflammation and he needs to rest for only three days. Alderson said the organization was still awaiting a diagnosis on fellow righty prospect Luis Mateo’s elbow/forearm.

• Zack Wheeler (0-1, 3.86 ERA) pitches for Las Vegas on Friday night against Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate.

• Wednesday’s postponed Mets-Rockies game will be made up June 27 at 6:10 p.m. ET at Coors Field. That had been an off day between the Mets playing at the Chicago White Sox and a home series against the Nats.

BIRTHDAYS: Frank Viola, now the pitching coach with low-A Savannah, turns 53. ... Ambiorix Burgos, whose major league career was derailed in part by serious legal troubles, is 29. Burgos currently is pitching in Mexico.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

#Mets lost in the permafrost. They have a winning record above freezing though. No worries. #LetsGoMets!

— Rich (@thisisrtm) April 19, 2013

YOU’RE UP: At 7-7, is the Mets’ glass half-full or half-empty?

METS (7-7, third place/NL East) vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS (9-6, second place/NL East)

Friday: RHP Matt Harvey (3-0, 0.82) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (1-2, 2.95), 7:10 p.m. ET

Saturday: RHP Jeremy Hefner (0-2, 7.20) vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez (1-1, 4.50), 3:05 p.m. ET

Sunday: RHP Dillon Gee (0-3, 8.36) vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann (3-0, 2.45), 1:10 p.m. ET

Nationals short hops

• Catcher Wilson Ramos left Sunday’s game and landed on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain. Kurt Suzuki has filled in strongly, hitting .360 with a .485 on-base percentage through 34 plate appearances. Nats catchers collectively have an NL-leading .333 average and 1.158 OPS.

• Bryce Harper, who received intravenous fluids pregame and vomited during the game, nonetheless went 4-for-5 in his return to the lineup Wednesday after missing a game with the flu. Harper had been in an 0-for-13 rut before the breakout. He’s hitting .364 with a 1.090 OPS this season.

• Second baseman Danny Espinosa has missed three games with a bruised right hand, which he suffered getting struck with a pitch. He is 50-50 for a return Friday. Steve Lombardozzi has started three straight games in Espinosa’s absence.

• Jordan Zimmermann (3-0, 2.45 ERA) tossed his first career complete game Monday, in Miami. He has been the Nats’ top starter on a star-studded staff.

• Stephen Strasburg, who was shut down last season after a Sept. 7 appearance at 159 1/3 innings, will not be held out of the postseason this year. While there is no formal limit, the goal is to keep Strasburg at about 200 innings. Two of Strasburg’s three highest career pitch counts have come in his last two starts. He threw 114 pitches on April 7 against Cincinnati, then 112 against the Braves last Saturday. His career high is 119 on June 8, 2012 against the Boston Red Sox.

• Gio Gonzalez is coming off his worst start in two seasons as a National. He allowed seven runs in five innings as the Braves completed a weekend sweep with a 9-0 win against Washington on Sunday in D.C.

• While not a Chuck Knoblauch-type yips situation, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has mightily struggled making routine throws. He has four throwing errors in a five-game span. Zimmerman said his surgically repaired shoulder is fine and he is simply thinking too much about revised mechanics. The Nats have encouraged Zimmerman to throw more over the top this season.

• Like Harper, center fielder Denard Span had been slowed by the flu. He missed the Nats’ past two games. Span was acquired from the Minnesota Twins on Nov. 29 for minor league right-hander Alex Meyer. Span, the leadoff hitter, has produced a .421 on-base percentage. Jayson Werth slid from second to first in the order the past two games in Span’s absence.

• Davey Johnson became the 47^th manager in major league history to suffer 1,000 losses on Sunday. Not to worry: Twenty-three of those managers are in the Hall of Fame. Johnson has a career 1,295-1,001 record. He was 595-417 in seven seasons with the Mets.

• The Nats added closer Rafael Soriano to an already deep bullpen on Jan. 17. The ex-Yankee signed for two years, $28 million, plus a $14 million team option for 2015. Soriano, Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Henry Rodriguez combined for 87 saves last season.

• First baseman Adam LaRoche (.195, 2 HR, 5 RBIs) opened the season in an 0-for-15 slump before breaking out with a two-homer game April 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He earned his first Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards last year.

DENVER

FIRST PITCH: The Mets are headed home tonight. Game or no game.

For the third time in four days, the Mets were idle Wednesday. Their game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field was snowed out. It will be made up later in the season at a date to be determined.

The positive byproduct: The Mets can now skip the fifth starter’s turn for more than a week. Jeremy Hefner, who would have started last night, instead faces the Washington Nationals on Saturday. That bumps Aaron Laffey to long relief.

The Mets will not need the fifth starter’s spot again until a week from Saturday. By then, Shaun Marcum -- who is supposed to pitch in Port St. Lucie, Fla., today -- could be ready to return.

See the projected upcoming pitching matchups here.

Thursday’s news reports:

• Matt Harvey will enjoy the chance to match up with Stephen Strasburg on Friday night at Citi Field. Read more in the Daily News.

• Sandy Alderson tells ESPNNewYork.com that Zack Wheeler’s promotion will come when the prospect is ready and is not closely tied to the state of the rotation. Read more in the Daily News.

• The Mets promoted Jeurys Familia and optioned dropdown reliever Greg Burke to Triple-A Las Vegas to work on his changeup. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• What’s wrong with Ruben Tejada, who already has six errors? “He’s putting a lot of pressure on himself,” David Wright told Mike Puma in the Post. “You can just tell he’s thinking about a lot of things instead of just playing. The ones that are reactionary plays, he’s fine with. It’s the one’s he’s got to think about. I’ve been there. Everybody has been there.” Read more in the Star-Ledger and Record.

• Frank Francisco began a rehab assignment with Class A St. Lucie. He tossed a 1-2-3 inning while registering 90-92 mph.

• Jacob deGrom allowed one run in eight innings in his Double-A debut, but Binghamton lost to Portland, 1-0, Wednesday. Travis d'Arnaud left Las Vegas' game, reportedly with an ankle inury after being struck with a pitch. Read the full minor league recap here.

• Read more on Wednesday’s postponement in the Post, Newsday, Times, Star-Ledger.

• From the bloggers … John Delcos at Mets Report suggests Tejada may not be the answer at shortstop. … Shannon from Mets Police left his notes from his interview with Howie Rose lying around. His family found them and thought Shannon was depressed. It was actually Howie's comments about Twitter.

BIRTHDAYS: Rico Brogna turns 43. … Doug Flynn is 62.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

Citi Friday night is gonna have an awesome atmosphere! I hope I can make it! #PitcherDuel #Mets

— Michael Mora (@Mike_Mora1) April 18, 2013

YOU’RE UP: Are you OK with Zack Wheeler developing in Triple-A when the Mets have a need now?

DENVER -- Terry Collins did not let three postponements in four days disrupt Friday's marquee matchup. Matt Harvey will proceed with facing fellow ace Stephen Strasburg as the Mets and Washington Nationals open a weekend series at Citi Field.

“Obviously I’m still new to all this stuff,” Harvey said. “I think I read an article about Dwight Gooden’s Friday nights [at Shea Stadium]. It’s an exciting time. I’m looking forward to it. I know the extra adrenaline is going to be there. It’s going to be one of those things where you have to tone down.”

Read the full news story here.

VIERA, Fla. -- Rafael Montero moved to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, as a 17-year-old and got serious about baseball.

Three years later, he signed with the Mets in 2011.

Thursday night, the 22-year-old right-hander made his Grapefruit League debut against a good portion of the Washington Nationals’ Opening Day lineup.

Montero -- the Mets’ organizational pitcher of the year in 2011 for his performances at Class A Savannah and St. Lucie last season (11-5, 2.36 ERA) -- surrendered one run on three hits in two innings against the Nats at Space Coast Stadium.

He appeared unfazed by the stage during a 41-pitch effort.

The Mets and Nats finished in a 4-all tie after 10 innings.

Montero allowed a leadoff double to Denard Span in the first inning, but consecutively retired Kurt Suzuki, Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche to strand Span at second. An inning later, Danny Espinosa produced a one-out double and scored on Nats top prospect Anthony Rendon’s double.

Montero identified his fastball as his top pitch. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud agreed.

“I believe so, just because he can locate it to either side of the plate -- any count,” d’Arnaud said. “

Montero throws a sinker, slider and changeup.

“He executed all of his pitches,” d’Arnaud said. “He has a game plan out there. He’s got phenomenal stuff. He keeps the ball down and he’s got three great pitches. He seemed really comfortable. … He had a phenomenal breaking ball, too. He kept it down and he had a good, sharp angle on it. It’s a real hard pitch to hit.”

Said Terry Collins: “He’s got a good arm. I like the fact that he really pounds the strike zone with his stuff. Great poise on the mound. Great demeanor. Pretty impressive.”

Game tidbits:

• Matt den Dekker singled, stole a base and scored on a wild pitch in the seventh as the Mets pulled even at 4.

• Jeremy Hefner completed the game with 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings.

• In his second meeting with the Mets, Stephen Strasburg tossed three innings. He allowed only a Mike Baxter sacrifice fly that scored Jordany Valdespin.

Strasburg’s line: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. He threw 52 pitches (30 strikes).

• Brandon Lyon allowed one run in one inning. Josh Edgin allowed an unearned run in two innings.

• Collin Cowgill went 2-for-4. He’s 6-for-11 with a homer and two walks in Grapefruit play.

• Omar Quintanilla (.429) contributed an RBI double against Zach Duke in the fourth inning.

• Elvin Ramirez issued a bases-loaded walk in the sixth that had given the Nats a 4-3 lead.

JUPITER, Fla. -- Sandy Alderson lists his two greatest acquisitions while presiding over the Oakland Athletics as Dennis Eckersley and Bob Welch, the latter of whom was part of a three-team deal that landed Kevin Tapani and Wally Whitehurst in Flushing.

Will Alderson’s July 28, 2011 trade that shipped Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants for Zack Wheeler turn out to be a similar résumé-padding steal?

“Too early,” Alderson said.

In his Grapefruit League debut Saturday in relief of Shaun Marcum, the 22-year-old Wheeler tossed two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two against the Washington Nationals, who started Stephen Strasburg.

Wheeler now makes his first spring training start on Wednesday, when the Mets return to Tradition Field to face the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:10 p.m. [Update: Wheeler has been scratched with an ab strain; he says it's minor.]

The comparisons to Strasburg already are pouring in.

“There are certainly similarities,” pitching coach Dan Warthen said.

Added Warthen: “I don’t know whether that puts pressure on anybody or not. Zack Wheeler is going to be Zack Wheeler. He’s not going to worry whether he’s Stephen Strasburg. Right now, if I know Zack like I think I do, he thinks he’s better than Strasburg.”

Where’s the similarity?

“Body type. The free, loose arm. Everything is effortless. The great extension. The releasing the ball out front,” Warthen said.

There is some science behind the comparison, too.

“We have an unbelievable new program called PitchTrack, where we put him side by side with Strasburg,” Warthen explained. “According to the PitchTrack, his stuff was better than Strasburg the other night.

“It measures where you release the ball, from what height, how far on the rubber on one side or the other, how far you get out on the extension side, the depth of the pitch, whether the two-seam has a sixth-inch depth, a slider has a 12-inch break. It measures everything.”

Wheeler often describes himself as “chilled” and unfazed by challenges, although he acknowledged being amped up for his first Grapefruit League inning, so much so that catcher John Buck and David Wright had to approach the mound to calm him.

Wheeler eventually produced consecutive strikeouts that frame to strand Steve Lombardozzi at third base after a leadoff walk.

“I like how he goes about his business,” Wright said. “He’s relatively quiet, but he’s got that inner confidence about him that he knows he belongs. And stuff-wise, it’s easy to see. He throws really hard and has good offspeed pitches.

“The only time I’ve seen him pitch, he got himself in a little jam and he was able to calm his nerves and get out of it, which I think is impressive for a younger player. I think it’s a combination of the way he carries himself, the confidence that he has and then, obviously, stuff.”

Wright, of course, has watched plenty of hyped Mets prospects not pan out over the past decade, including Fernando Martinez and Lastings Milledge. Why is Wheeler different?

“The stuff doesn’t lie. The radar gun doesn’t lie,” Wright said. “I think sometimes, unfairly, guys get hyped and, for whatever reason, things don’t work out. But I feel like some of the trades we’ve made, some of the guys we’ve gotten back -- personality and talent-wise -- I won’t say it’s can’t miss, but they look pretty good.”

Said Warthen: “This is the first time I’ve ever watched him pitch. What a treat. A nice, loose arm. The ball is on top of you. He spins the ball very well with the slider and the curve. He’s having a little trouble getting to the [catcher’s] glove side with his fastball right now, but that’s not out of the ordinary. We worked on that a little bit yesterday. He’s got a great work ethic. A great kid.

“He really thinks he belongs in the big leagues, which is a very nice asset.”

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.

FIRST PITCH: The Mets put their undefeated record on the line on Day 2 of the Grapefruit League season with a pair of games Sunday.

Terry Collins takes Matt Harvey and a split squad to Kissimmee to face the now-AL West-member Houston Astros. (See full travel roster here.)

Meanwhile, back at Tradition Field, devout Ohio State fan Jonathon Niese as well as Dillon Gee pitch against Fred Wilpon’s alma mater, the University of Michigan. The Wolverines won two of three games from Fordham this weekend at the Mets’ complex.

Gee will pitch in his first game since undergoing emergency surgery during last year’s All-Star break to repair a damaged artery in his pitching shoulder. He already was throwing off the mound in September at Citi Field before shutting things down for the offseason, so Gee said he has zero concerns about this start.

“I feel great,” Gee said. “I feel normal. I’m not worried about it at all.”

Sunday’s news reports:

• Pedro Feliciano returned to camp Saturday after an examination at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Feliciano said he has an irregular heartbeat and small “hole” in the exterior of the heart. Feliciano will wear a heart monitor and is not yet cleared to resume baseball activities. Collins said the issue potentially is serious. Sandy Alderson plans to address the issue further with media this morning. Read more in the Star-Ledger, Newsday, Daily News, Post, Record and MLB.com.

• Outfielder Jamie Hoffmann also returned to camp after his initial physical required a follow-up exam in New York. Hoffmann said he was diagnosed with a non-alarming heart condition 10 years ago that routinely gets flagged when he switches teams.

• Zack Wheeler wowed in his Grapefruit League debut, limiting the Washington Nationals to one hit and one walk while striking out two in two scoreless innings. Collins nonetheless reiterated that Wheeler is ticketed for the minors to open the season, regardless of Johan Santana’s situation.

“He’s very similar to Doc,” Wally Backman told columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post, referring to Dwight Gooden. “I think Doc’s breaking ball was a little bit bigger, but this kid has got, to me, real high expectations.”

Said Joe McIlvaine, a scout for the Mariners who once drafted Dwight Gooden: “Easy gas. Wheeler is very similar to [Stephen] Strasburg. He threw about as hard. He’s the same type of breaking ball. The same type of elongated body. Strasburg is a little bit stronger, but he’s a little bit older. The only differential I would say at this point is that [Wheeler’s] control is not as good as Strasburg’s. That’s the biggest difference, and that’s why he is still in the minor leagues.”

Steve Serby in the Post has a Q&A with man-of-few-words Wheeler. The exchange includes:

Q: Tell me about the day you were traded to the Mets.

A: I rolled out of bed, saw it on Twitter. I went downstairs, it was on ESPN.

Read more on Wheeler’s Grapefruit League debut in the Star-Ledger, Times, Post, Newsday, Daily News and MLB.com.

• Also in the 5-2 win against the Nats, Ruben Tejada belted a two-run homer against Strasburg, Shaun Marcum surrendered three runs in two innings and Collin Cowgill delivered a game-deciding RBI double. Read more in Newsday.

• David Wright will get three more Grapefruit League starts before departing Saturday for the World Baseball Classic, Collins said. Read more in Newsday.

• The Mets signed 29-year-old first baseman Rhyne Hughes to a minor league deal. Justin Turner played with Hughes in the Baltimore Orioles organization and said the lefty hitter has power to all fields when on his game. Hughes’ career got sidetracked when the Orioles tried to expose him to right field and made him a part-time player, according to Turner.

• Jason Bay belted a two-run homer in his first at-bat as member of the Seattle Mariners. Bay is competing with Casper Wells for the final outfield slot. Read more in The Seattle Times and Newsday.

• Andrew Keh in the Times looks at the tradition of baseball players having offseason jobs. Collin McHugh works during the winter with a company that does fundraising for schools.

• Columnist John Harper in the Daily News contrasts John Buck with predecessor Josh Thole. “Josh just didn’t have a feel for calling a game,” a Mets person told Harper. “We needed somebody that was going to help make our young pitchers better.”

Jorge Castillo in the Star-Ledger has a Q&A with Buck about his Glove Guardian company.

• Should the Mets instruct Travis d’Arnaud to do swipe tags instead of blocking the plate in order to protect the young catcher? Mark Hale asks Paul DePodesta in the Post. “I’d say it’s to be determined,” DePodesta said.

• Columnist Bill Madden in the Daily News is critical of Wright’s agents over other clients being tied to a South Florida clinic.

• Minor league field coordinator Dicky Scott notes in the Star-Ledger that the plan is to keep prospect Wilmer Flores in the infield. “A lot of guys go to the outfield because they can really run – they’re great defenders -- and with other guys it’s because they don’t like fielding groundballs,” Scott told the newspaper. “We have a guy who has good hands, who can play multiple positions. I think we’re going to stick with that.”

• Mike Kerwick in the Record profiles pitching coach Dan Warthen, including his influence on a young Erik Hanson.

• From the bloggers ... With 1986 nearly three decades in the past, Shannon from Mets Police wonders when the Mets become one of those teams that never wins. … Mets Merized looks at center-field prospect Matt den Dekker.

BIRTHDAYS: Hall of Famer Eddie Murray turns 57.

TWEET OF THE DAY:

Mets fans winning that one. RT @anthonydicomo: Wondering if @gregjohnsmlb received more Tweets from Mariners or Mets fans today. #Bay”

— Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) February 24, 2013

YOU’RE UP: What record and ERA will Matt Harvey produce in 2013?

Please use the comments section to weigh in

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Ruben Tejada slugged a two-run homer against Stephen Strasburg and Collin Cowgill later produced a tiebreaking RBI double as the Mets opened Grapefruit League play with a 5-3 win against the Washington Nationals on Saturday at Tradition Field.

Game tidbits:

VEGAS TICKET BOOKED: As impressive as Zack Wheeler performed Saturday, Terry Collins reiterated that he is ticketed for Triple-A Las Vegas to open the season, even with uncertainty about Johan Santana. The manager noted that Wheeler only relied on a fastball and slider Saturday and needs to use a full complement of pitches against major league hitters.

Collins said the minors is not “etched in stone, but it’s pretty close.”

CLOSE CALL: Bobby Parnell, the closer with Frank Francisco not due to pick up a baseball until Monday at the earliest, worked around an infield hit and error in a scoreless ninth for the save.

Although veterans, even closers, often work earlier in spring-training games, Collins said he purposely waited until the ninth to use Parnell to get him into that mindset.

With Parnell off Sunday, Collins plans to expose Jeurys Familia to that ninth-inning role during a split-squad game against the Houston Astros in Kissimmee.

“With what we’re looking at right now with where Frankie is at, I’ve got to get Bobby ready,” Collins said. “There’s nothing like, unfortunately, having him wait around. I hate to do that with the older guys, but I just think he needs to get used to it.”

MORE COWGILL, PLEASE: Cowgill performed as advertised with aggressive baserunning. With the score tied in the sixth, the ex-A’s outfielder’s double against Bill Bray plated Landon Powell. Cowgill then scored all the way from second on an error by first baseman Micah Owings, which the pitcher retrieved in the infield.

Cowgill famously scored from second base on a wild pitch by Tim Lincecum last season while playing for Oakland against the Giants. That play included making heavy contact with Lincecum in a plate collision.

“We need more Cowgill!” David Wright playfully shouted in the clubhouse after watching Cowgill’s aggressiveness on TV.

(Read full post)

Collin McHugh surrendered three homers and the Mets officially were eliminated from division-title contention with a 5-1 loss to the Washington Nationals on Monday. The Mets are now 4-19 at Citi Field since the All-Star break. They matched a franchise record by failing to exceed three runs for the 11th straight home game. In fact, the Mets have not had a multi-run inning at home in 106 innings -- the second-longest streak in major league history. The Washington Senators hold the record with 119 consecutive home innings without a multi-run frame, in 1909.

Gio Gonzalez picked up his MLB-leading 19th win. R.A. Dickey will look to match that total when he opposes right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (10-8, 2.99 ERA) at 7:10 p.m. today.

The family of the late firefighter Ronnie Gies will throw out the ceremonial first pitch during pregame ceremonies in remembrance of 9/11. Gies, of Squad 228 in Maspeth, Queens, died during the terrorist attacks. The Mets will wear hats of first-responder agencies pregame.

Tuesday's news reports:

• Jenrry Mejia will enter the rotation Saturday at Milwaukee, with Jeremy Hefner moving to the bullpen. Read more in the Daily News.

• Nats manager Davey Johnson delighted in officially eliminating the Mets from division-title contention. "That made me a little happy," Johnson told Washington reporters postgame. The Mets' tragic number for wild-card elimination is 12. Kelly Shoppach dropped a foul pop-up to prolong the at-bat before Kurt Suzuki launched the first of the three homers against McHugh. Read game recaps in the Post, Star-Ledger, Newsday, Times, Daily News and The Washington Post.

• The Brooklyn Cyclones mustered only one hit and were eliminated from the New York-Penn League playoffs Sunday. Both Mets affiliates to qualify for the postseason -- St. Lucie and Brooklyn -- were eliminated in a winner-take-all Game 3 in the opening round. Read the final minor league recap here.

• Ruben Tejada, who previously had confirmed he would train during the offseason in New York and Port St. Lucie, told Kevin Burkhardt (Twitter link) that he will work out with Jose Reyes at the Garden City, L.I., facility where Reyes has trained for several years. Among the other athletes who train together there: Pedro Beato, the Rockies' Adam Ottavino and Mets minor leaguers Cam Maron (Hicksville High product), John Mincone (Half Hollow Hills East) and Steven Matz (Ward Melville).

• David Wright and Jeff Wilpon visited the Squad 18 firehouse in lower Manhattan on Monday morning. Read more in the Record.

Brian Costa in the Journal asked Wilpon about the importance of Wright as an ambassador in factoring in whether to re-sign him. Writes Costa:

As with [Derek] Jeter and the Yankees, what Wright means to the identity of the franchise is a central factor. "Of course it is," Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said, standing off to the side as Wright spoke to reporters at the firehouse. "As a homegrown star, you always have that. I think that's good. I think he's teaching some of the younger guys how to deal with New York and how to act in New York. It all goes into the mix." Wright is hardly the only Mets player to lend time to charitable and community causes. And his jersey isn't the only that sells. But be honest: How many Mets players would you even recognize if they walked into your office today?

The Mets of the past several years have been alternately unlikable and forgettable. But Wright retains a cachet that the organization as a whole has lost. As such, he is more than their clubhouse leader. He's also their chief spokesman. None of this is lost on Wilpon, who would much prefer someone else speak for the team. "It's great, because he gets to do it and I don't have to," Wilpon said. "I just go to support him. It's wonderful. When you have someone who's homegrown like that who can represent the organization, it's terrific."

Wright told Marc Carig in Newsday there have been no developments with a contract extension. "I don't think it's the right time, but I guess I'll answer your question," Wright said. "There's nothing new. I guess status quo." Said Wilpon: "I think we've said all along that we plan on keeping David and we want David to be part of the organization long term. Let's not get into the contract. He didn't want to negotiate during the season. We're not going to negotiate during the season. We'll find the right time to sit down and talk."

• John Olerud is in a flap over whether a neighbor should be required to take down a tree obstructing the ex-Met's view of the Seattle skyline. Writes Keith Ervin in the Seattle Times:

Olerud doesn't think much of the Chinese pine, shorter and fuller than the towering Douglas firs nearby. [Rev. Bruce] Baker has agreed to remove a Colorado spruce behind the pine. "You guys saw the trees," Olerud said at the board hearing. "They're not attractive trees. I would say they're the kind of tree that only an arborist would love. ... I'm just making the point that if you're willing to cut down your own trees to maintain your view and yet you aren't willing to offer that to your neighbor, how is that being a good neighbor? The Bible says, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.' That's Jesus' commandment."

To which Baker replied, "I truly believe you're trying to be a good neighbor. That's what's so puzzling about this, that you think it's being a good neighbor to cut down a tree that's important to me that's over 50 years old, and just leave a hole there." Olerud said he would be willing to buy a replacement tree that wouldn't block his view.

• Wally Backman threw early batting practice on his first full day with the Mets. Backman, who managed Triple-A Buffalo, will serve as an extra coach for the remainder of the season.

• Terry Collins' promised pregame tinkering with the Mets' routine proved pretty minor -- and ineffective. Mets starting players merely hit closer to game time. Read more in the Times.

• Don't look now, but the Philadelphia Phillies, at 70-71, are as close to wild-card contention as they are to the Mets. The Phillies trail the St. Louis Cardinals by five games for the NL's second wild-card slot and lead the Mets (65-76) by five games as well for third place in the division.

• Dickey's current winning percentage (.818, 18-4) is on pace to be better than any pitcher in major league history on a team with a losing record. Sandy Koufax is the record holder, posting a .792 winning percentage (19-5) in 1964 with the Dodgers, who went 80-82. Writes Michael Salfino in the Journal:

Since 2000, only 10 other pitchers on winning teams have a winning percentage better than Dickey's. To be fair, Dickey has gotten help from his teammates. They score 5.18 runs per game for him, nearly a run more than their 4.19 overall. And even the Mets' combustible bullpen has generally performed after Dickey has left a game with a lead, blowing just one win for him.

Dickey told Mike Puma in the Post that the now-19-game-winner Gonzalez would be his choice for Cy Young if he were forced to exclude himself from consideration, followed by Johnny Cueto.

“I think his hits-to-innings-pitched and strikeouts really reflect a consistently dominant year,” Dickey told Puma about Gonzalez. “I would say switching leagues was an advantage for him, because the National League hasn’t seen him. So he’s a surprise to a lot of teams in the National League, because he’s been in the American League. Not that he wouldn’t do this in his second or third year, but it certainly helps to be able to kind of surprise guys at least one time through. I saw him in Oakland and he was great over there, so it’s no surprise to me.”

Including Cueto, Dickey said: “Both these guys are playing for first-place teams, so that helps to be able to get wins, and they both have the wins, too.”

• Matt Harvey can empathize with Stephen Strasburg getting shut down for the season because of an innings limit. Harvey, himself, has only two more scheduled starts -- tomorrow, then next Tuesday against the Phillies. Writes Andy McCullough in the Star-Ledger:

Harvey has met Strasburg a few times. Both are represented by Scott Boras. They were at Boras’ California training facility together at times this winter. Strasburg exercised apart from the others, as he was still rebuilding arm strength. Years before, Harvey took a tour of the Boras Corporation’s offices. One of Boras’ assistants made a presentation about the perils of pitcher abuse. Harvey recalled hearing about “the amount of surgeries that happened because of overuse.” He learned about pitchers like Steve Avery, a former Atlanta star and a Boras client. Avery experienced a sudden decline in the mid-90s after shouldering a sizable workload in his early 20s. His left arm broke down from the strain. The exact science of pitcher usage remains debatable. But the presentation made a strong case for conservation. “That kind of opened my eyes up to it,” Harvey said.

TRIVIA: Which two colleges played in the first game at Citi Field?

Monday's answer: Jody Gerut of the San Diego Padres homered against Mike Pelfrey to lead off the first regular-season game at Citi Field, on April 13, 2009. The Padres again open the season at Citi Field in 2013, according to a major league source.