Noah Syndergaard came off the injured list on Sunday, and he helped the Mets break their seven-game losing streak with 5.2 innings of three-run ball against the first-place Braves.
While he wasn’t at his sharpest, it was encouraging to see that in his first inning of game action since June 15, his fastball was sitting at about 98 mph.
“I felt really good,” Syndergaard said to reporters after the game. “My mechanics felt probably top five throughout my entire career, so I just gotta continue to go out there.”
Ronald Acuna Jr. led off against him with a single to center, and promptly stole second base. After a Dansby Swanson lineout to right field advanced Acuna to third, Syndergaard was able to produce a key popup from Freddie Freeman for the second out.
However, he could not escape without any damage being done as Josh Donaldson doubled off a 98 mph offering from Syndergaard.
Syndergaard didn’t let things get out of control though, as he retired the next five batters, including his first strikeout of Tyler Flowers on an 89 mph slider in the second inning. Facing Acuna for the second time, he then gave up a solo home run to right center field that gave the Braves a 2-1 lead at the time.
The next batter was Swanson, who Syndergaard was ahead of 0-2, but he threw a 98 mph pitch that deflected off him and went to Amed Rosario for an infield hit. Freeman followed with another single to put runners on first and second with still only one out.
After Donaldson popped out, Swanson and Freeman successfully executed a double steal, but Syndergaard struck out Nick Markakis with a 91 mph changeup to limit the damage in the inning to one run.
Syndergaard then took only 11 pitches to get through an easy one-two-three fourth inning. In the fifth, he allowed only a two-out single to Swanson, who was then caught trying to steal second base.
He started off the sixth inning shaky though, having thrown 74 pitches through five innings. He walked Freeman and Donaldson back-to-back to start the frame, both of which came on full counts. He then got Markakis to ground into a force out, and with runners on the corners and one out, he struck out rookie Austin Riley with a 92 mph changeup in the dirt.
However, again Syndergaard wasn’t able to get out of a two-out jam, allowing a game-tying single to Johan Camargo. After walking Flowers to load the bases, his third walk of the inning, Mickey Callaway made the tough decision to take Syndergaard out of the inning and bring in Chris Flexen.
Luckily for Syndergaard and his ERA, Flexen escaped the jam. While he did not hold the lead in the next inning, the Mets eventually came back with a five-run eighth to cap a thrilling 8-5 win. Syndergaard did not receive a win for his efforts, but he still provided a decent outing that kept the Mets in the game and gave them a chance to win, a chance that they took full advantage of.
Overall it was a very encouraging day for the 26-year-old fireballer, who seemed to feel no pain at all after a 15-day stint on the injured list with a hamstring injury. Hopefully, the right-hander can find more consistencies in his outings going forward, as his numbers (5-4, 4.56 ERA, 98 strikeouts in 100.2 innings) still aren’t quite where he’d like them to be.
Syndergaard’s next start is scheduled for July 7, the third and final game of a three-game set at home against the Phillies. In fact, that game will be the Mets’ last game played before the All-Star break.
