Mets’ Steven Matz finds right pace in bounce-back effort

Pitching close to home is nothing new for Steven Matz.

As the left-hander said after the Mets’ 7-2 win Wednesday over the Marlins at Citi Field, “I don’t know anything else at this point.’’

That won’t be the case for Marcus Stroman, who will make his first start in Queens since joining the Mets when they open their series against the Nationals on Friday.

“It’s something to embrace,’’ said Matz, who, like Stroman, grew up on Long Island. “I don’t think it’s gonna be tough for him. He’s an All-Star who’s pitched in the playoffs in Toronto and it’s the same game. He’s an emotional pitcher, a competitor and he’ll bring that to the mound here. It’s gonna be fun to watch.’’

Stroman will be trying to help the Mets extend a six-game winning streak, thanks in part to Matz, who rebounded from a rough start in Pittsburgh to limit Miami to two runs in 6²/₃ innings on Wednesday.

Matz gave up a run in the second and escaped further damage that inning due to some brutal base running by the Marlins, as both Lewis Brinson and Starlin Castro were thrown out on the basepaths. He also allowed a solo shot to Brian Anderson in the sixth, but manager Mickey Callaway praised Matz’s ability to slow down on the mound, which he has struggled with at times.

“We’ve talked about this a lot the past couple years,’’ the manager said. “He continued to understand he needs to focus on the next pitch and tonight in particular, I think he did a good job of stepping back.”

Callaway pointed to an at-bat in the top of the fifth, when Matz had a 2-1 count on opposing starter Jordan Yamamoto.

“He grabbed the rosin, regrouped and got the strikeout on a couple of fastballs,’’ Callaway said. “He understands when he needs to slow down.”

Callaway called Matz’s time between pitches “off the charts quick,” which serves him well at times, but not at others.

“That’s what you want to do when you’re rolling,’’ Callaway said. “But if you throw a couple of balls, you want to back off and regroup.”

Matz succeeded and finished off his third solid start in his last four outings.

“It was definitely a conscious effort,’’ Matz said of taking an occasional breather. “The heat and humidity worked in my favor because I couldn’t rush. … Throughout the whole game, I was mindful of working quick, but also taking a second every once in a while.”

The addition of Stroman to a rotation that still includes Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard has helped, he said.

“It’s a motivator for me, seeing what they do,’’ Matz said after the Mets won for the 13th time in 14 games. “I just want to build off that and keep the ball rolling. I think we’ve got something good going on.”

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