The last big New York baseball moment of the summer will be delivered by Matt Harvey's eye-popping right arm tonight at Citi Field in a game that decides home-field advantage for a World Series — which the Yankees and Mets won't sniff.
Harvey will start for the National League club in his first All-Star Game of a young career that has excited Mets fans the way Doc Gooden and Tom Seaver did.
Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer starts for the American League, which will try to end a three-game losing streak.
Though there was little drama attached to Giants manager Bruce Bochy's predictable decision to start the Mets ace in his home park, that has a big chance to change tonight.
Reuters
FIELD DAY: While Mets ace Matt Harvey warmed up for his start for the NL in tonight's All-Star Game on a sun-splashed Citi Field yesterday, the Yankees' Robinson Cano — who will bat second for the AL — signed a round of autographs.
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Imagine Harvey's 100-mph fastball against the bat speed of Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, the best hitter in baseball, in the first inning.
Harvey, 24, is the third Mets pitcher to start an All-Star Game, joining Gooden and Seaver. He is the youngest All-Star Game starter since Gooden was 23 in 1988. Harvey is the first member of a host club to start the All-Star Game since the Astros' Roger Clemens in 2004.
"It's a huge honor,'' Harvey said. "Obviously, it's New York and the fans have been great all season. Hopefully, I can make them proud."
Mets manager Terry Collins gushed about Harvey, who likes the attention.
"I can tell you he wanted this very bad. He wanted this desperately,'' said Collins, who said he would not be surprised if Harvey's heater hits triple digits. "He deserves to be out there. People who haven't seen him, they are going to see something special. This isn't going to be an exhibition game for Matt Harvey. You can believe that.''
Nationals manager Davey Johnson, who managed the 1986 Mets and along with Collins will be on Bochy's coaching staff, says the comparisons to Gooden are easy.
"I like his stuff. I like his command. ... Because they're both pitching for the Mets and they're both pretty good, Dwight Gooden pops in my mind," Johnson said. "When he was 19, he was reading hitters. Harvey does the same thing.''
Harvey's last start was Monday in San Francisco. The blister problem on his right index finger that caused him to skip a start this weekend is improving.
Harvey respects the company he is in with Seaver and Gooden.
"The support Doc has given me all year has been pretty special,'' said Harvey, who is 7-2 with a 2.35 ERA and has fanned an NL-best 147 in 130 innings. "Those guys are two of the best. The support [Gooden] has given me is amazing. Hopefully, I can make him proud.''
The Mets are counting on Harvey to start big games for them someday. And he has more than filled the void created when R.A. Dickey was traded to Toronto.
"It adds more drive,'' Harvey said of being an All-Star starter. "I wanted to do everything I could do to fill in for R.A. Dickey. We knew somebody needed to step in. It was a role I wanted to take and something I took pride in. Getting this opportunity is one step closer and something I am very proud of. Hopefully it's not my last All-Star Game.''
Scherzer is not the least bit concerned about being lost in the Harvey hype.
"It means so much, especially since it's my first All-Star Game,'' said the 28-year-old Scherzer, who is 13-1 with a 3.19 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 129 2/3 innings. "To finally be in this position, this is what you dream for, to be in this game.''
Mets captain David Wright, the NL starter at third base, said he believes Harvey easily could have double-digit wins with more run support.
"I'm running out of things to describe how good he is," Wright said. "He's gone out and dominated pretty much every start. There's no reason he shouldn't have 10, 12 wins right now. We haven't given him much run support. He's been as dominant a starter in the game, not just the league."
george.king@nypost.com
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