Harvey completes stellar spring as Mets tie Cardinals 0-0

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) All the tuneups are complete for Matt Harvey. Next up is the real thing.

Harvey capped an exemplary spring training by striking out four in four innings Thursday as the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals played a 0-0 tie in their Grapefruit League finale.

Harvey allowed three hits and threw 41 of 56 pitches for strikes. He had a 1.19 ERA in six spring training starts, giving up three runs and 17 hits in 22 2-3 innings.

''Everything feels great, as it has all spring training,'' Harvey said. ''I don't think there's much more to accomplish.''

The NL starter in the 2013 All-Star game at Citi Field, Harvey hasn't pitched in a regular-season game since Aug. 24, 2013. The 26-year-old right-hander is recovering from elbow ligament-replacement surgery that Oct. 22.

He walked one and struck out 21 during the exhibition season.

''You hear stories of guys who have trouble with command coming back, and that as something I really worked on,'' Harvey said. ''Obviously you never know until you start facing hitters and getting into a game, but to know I did that, I'm pleased with that.''

Harvey is scheduled to follow Bartolo Colon and NL Rookie of the Year Jacob DeGrom in the rotation and pitch April 9 at Washington. He returns to Citi Field to start the Mets' second home game, against Philadelphia on April 14.

Lance Lynn, scheduled to follow Adam Wainwright in the Cardinals' rotation, allowed three hits in six innings, struck out four and walked none.

''He was great - everything we needed to see,'' St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said.

Lynn, who starts at the Chicago Cub on Tuesday, hit Curtis Granderson on a leg with a pitch in the third. Granderson left after the end of the half inning in what Mets manager Terry Collins said was a precaution.

STARTING TIME

Mets: Collins said Harvey will be limited to about 90 pitches against the Nationals. ''We're going to be delicate with him,'' Collins said.

Cardinals: John Lackey, Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez will follow Lynn in the rotation.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mets: 2B Daniel Murphy homered in a minor league camp game on the back fields of New York's Port St. Lucie complex. Collins hopes Murphy will be ready to play by opening day.

Cardinals: OF Tommy Pham is expected to see a doctor in Texas for a second opinion on his injured quadriceps. Pham had been in contention for the final outfield spot before the injury.

MORE CONCISE

St. Louis reliever Kevin Seigrist struck out three in one scoreless inning. Seigrist spent spring training developing a more compact delivery. ''Where there's extra movement, there's extra time, which means there's extra room for things to fall apart,'' Matheny said. ''He's simplified it.''

SPRING IRON MAN

Cardinals OF Stephen Piscotty played in every possible game during the Grapefruit League season, missing only a split squad contest. He will begin the season with Triple-A Memphis. ''He's a guy that we enjoyed watching,'' Matheny said.

CARDINAL NATION

St. Louis announced a spring attendance of 98,533 for 15 home games at Roger Dean Stadium, an average of 6,569.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Marco Gonzales starts at Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Mets: DeGrom starts Friday at Texas, when Dillon Gee goes Saturday in New York's final exhibition game.