Noah Syndergaard‘s first outing was not as pleasant as he may have wanted to start out his season. In Syndergaard’s first outing of 2019 he pitched six innings giving up four earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts in total. His ERA had started at 6.00. Coincidentally, Stephen Strasburg pitched against him that day and came out of the game with the same ERA (6.00) having pitched six innings giving up four earned runs on seven hits and threw eight strikeouts.

In yesterday’s game, Syndergaard was able to knock that ERA down to 4.50 after pitching six innings giving up two earned runs on just one hit and striking out six while walking only two batters. Noah threw five no-hit innings until the sixth inning. The 26-year-old exited the game after the sixth inning when he gave up his first hit, a home run to outfielder Victor Robles, then having the next three batters ground or pop out to end the inning.

Noah’s Nationals counterpart again, Strasburg, matched him inning by inning. Strasburg pitched one-hit baseball until a hit from Wilson Ramos broke up his no-hit bid in the bottom of the fifth. After that hit he went on to pitch six and two-thirds scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and a walk. He came out after 108 pitches. Strasburg was able to lower his ERA to 2.82 after this stellar outing.

Syndergaard had allowed two earned runs in his six innings even with only giving up one pitch. His second inning of work got a little hairy when he walked the first two batters, Juan Soto and Ryan Zimmerman, only to throw a wild pitch which moved the runners up to second and third. After reclaiming his composure and striking out catcher Yan Gomes, Wilmer Difo hit a squeeze bunt that Syndergaard fielded. When Noah saw there wasn’t a play at the plate, he was forced to throw to first and get the out there. Juan Soto was able to score on the sacrifice bunt and this was the second of two earned runs Syndergaard gave up only without giving up a hit for this one. The young right-hander didn’t give up issue another walk afterthat inning.

When asked if he thought Wednesday’s 6 p.m. game and 2 a.m. New York karrival had an effect on the team’s success today he responded “Losing doesn’t feel good. But I don’t think we were in the proper situation to win a ballgame based on the rest of the guys’ sleep and travel.”

Noah added that it would’ve been nice to have had the Home Opener on Fridau or a day game the day prior, so that his teammates had a better chance at success today.

Despite Noah having a good nights’ sleep, the rest of the team got in at 2 a.m. Thursday morning from Miami. The team was unable to score in their 4-0 loss to the Nationals. This loss gives the Mets their second of the season and they are now 5-2 to start of the first week of the 2019 season.