Friday, July 27th, 2012. Chase Field. The visiting New York Mets start a young pitcher against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This pitcher was a top pick in the 2010 draft. On the mound for the Diamondbacks was All-Star Wade Miley. On paper, the Diamondbacks should win this game easily. They had their ace on the mound going up against a rookie pitcher. Add to the fact that the Mets have been struggling, and you can chalk this one as a “W.” Little did the Diamondbacks know, however, the rookie they were facing was tough-minded, pumped, and ready to go. The rookie’s name was Matt Harvey, Gotham’s own Dark Knight.

Harvey shined that night, a debut that every Mets fan will remember. His final stat line was pretty darn impressive and it gave Mets fans a foreshadowing of what was to come. Harvey threw 5 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing only 3 hits, 3 walks, and a jaw-dropping 11 strikeouts (ESPN.com). He would continue to pitch at the Major-League level, and would amaze the Mets’ fans with his strong arm and tough swagger.

In 2013, Harvey carried this momentum into his first full season in the Majors. Going to a game at Citi Field on the day Harvey pitched sent electric sparks through the seats. The Mets were not competitive yet. They were struggling and had not had a winning season since 2008. But going to Citi Field on the day Harvey pitched made you think that the Mets were contenders. He pitched like a true ace. According to Baseball-Reference.com, Harvey went 7-2 with a 2.35 ERA in the first half of 2013.

The 2013 All-Star Game was at Citi Field, and as if it were meant to be, Matt Harvey was named as the starter for the National League. He pitched only two innings, as any starter would in an All-Star Game. But the Mets’ faithful showered him with cheers and roars. He had a sensational start and mowed down the American League All-Stars as if it were nothing. In its short history, it was one of the few times Citi Field has rocked like that.

It seemed that the Mets found their ace for years to come. But, odds did not work out this way, as Harvey would be shut down in August. In October, it was announced that Harvey would have Tommy John surgery, and the Mets continued to struggle. This was a huge blow to the Mets. Losing him for the whole 2014 season was a blow for the team.

Nevertheless, Harvey came back strong in 2015. He reminded the Mets that he was the true ace of their staff. His pitching was a financial benefit for the franchise. The Mets would promote “Harvey Day” for the days he pitched at home. Fans flocked to “Harvey Day,” some wearing the Dark Knight mask to honor him, and whenever Harvey would get a strikeout, they would play a video of Harvey dressed up as the Dark Knight. He brought magic to Citi Field and the Mets.

But with this fame, especially in New York, one must be careful. Harvey was dominating on the mound, but he also dominated off-the-field headlines. From dating celebrities, to his agent speaking out about his innings limit, to showing up late for the postseason workouts. He became a distraction. Instead of focusing on the positive story about the Mets, the news centered around the Dark Knight’s antics. The Mets had their first winning season since 2008, and were riding the arms of their young studs straight into the postseason, making it for the first time since 2006.

Gradually, his celebrity status began to turn the Mets’ fans against him. The once beloved Dark Knight was beginning to be bashed by the fans. Fans called into sports radio to voice their displeasure surrounding his agent speaking out against the Mets not being careful with his innings. Amidst all the drama, Harvey did not pitch as well during the end of the season. They felt external factors were beginning to affect his focus. In back-to-back starts in the beginning of September, Harvey had poor outings against the Phillies and Nationals. His ERA rose .20 points (Baseball-Reference.com). But he settled down, re-focused, and closed the season as strong as he started.

Fast-forward to the 2015 World Series. It was Game 5, and the Mets were down 3-1 in the series and on the brink of elimination. It was Harvey’s turn in the rotation. The Mets needed an outstanding outing from Harvey to stay alive, and he delivered. Harvey threw 8 scoreless innings. Going into the 9th inning, the Mets were up 2 runs and were hoping to send the series back to Kansas City. Harvey went up to the Mets’ manager Terry Collins, and demanded he pitched the 9th. Terry gave in to Harvey, and let him go out there for the 9th, which was an inning reserved for closer Jeurys Familia.

Harvey would walk the first batter, Lorenzo Cain. Cain would then steal second, and then score on a double off the bat of Eric Hosmer. Harvey would fail to record an out, and Collins would take him out. Familia came in and blew the save, as the Royals would get Hosmer home. The Royals would go on to win in the 12th inning, and the Mets’ dreams of winning a World Series was over.

The Mets had high hopes for this year. They have a strong starting rotation, and Harvey was one of those starters. But he struggled all year long. His numbers this year don’t measure up to his career numbers. Is this a sign of the future? Pitchers are very fragile in modern-day baseball. The emphasis on innings-limit is over-stressed because of the injury epidemic. Pitchers go down like flies to elbow, shoulder, and arm injuries.

Two major reasons put Harvey in that category. First of all, Harvey already had Tommy John surgery. Second, he threw a lot of innings in 2015. The Mets made the postseason, and as a result, put extra stress on his arm. Postseason pitches are tougher, more stressing, and high-intensity pitches as compared to the regular season. But this past week, Harvey had season-ending surgery. Blood clots were discovered in his bladder area. This is his second major surgery in three years.

It could well be that the 9th inning of Game 5 of the World Series may be the last thing Mets’ fans remember of Matt Harvey. There is no guarantee if he’ll ever be the same and go back to his dominating ways. The odds are stacked against him. The Dark Knight may have fallen for good in Gotham.