Angels closer Huston Street thinks Mets pitcher Matt Harvey should go for the ring

Angels closer Huston Street entered the clubhouse before Saturday night’s game against the Texas Rangers and made an announcement.

“I don’t know if I told you guys, but I have a 55-inning limit,” Street said. When told he had already thrown 53 2/3 innings with about a month left to play, the 32-year-old veteran said, “Then you better use those last six outs wisely.”

Street, of course, was making light of a serious situation in New York, where 26-year-old Mets phenom Matt Harvey sparked controversy on Saturday when he said he is reluctant to surpass a 180-inning limit in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Harvey, who missed all of last season, has thrown 166 1/3 innings already, going 12-7 with a 2.60 earned-run average to help the Mets take a five-game lead over the Washington Nationals in the National League East.

If he continues pitching and the Mets make the playoffs, Harvey would blow past that 180-inning mark. But that might jeopardize the career of one of baseball’s best young pitchers. The Mets have not won a World Series since 1986.

Street has never had Tommy John surgery or been a starter in the big leagues, but he knows what he would do if he were Harvey.

“I’d take the chance,” Street said. “It’s a complicated question. If someone is worth $300 million and they blow out and they never earn $300 million, that’s one thing. The other side is, can you live with yourself knowing you could have helped your team win a World Series?

“You can pretend you’ll always have more chances to win, but I’ve been in the league 11 years, and this is my fifth real chance to win. As an older player, you understand how precious winning is.”