Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

It’s very rare that one player beats an entire team. But Noah Syndergaard pretty much defeated the Cincinnati Reds single-handedly. For the first time in 36 years, he became the first pitcher to homer and throw a complete game in a 1-0 victory.

Syndergaard went the distance for the third time in his big-league career on this Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. The other two complete games came last season. Perhaps that was more unexpected than the home run he hit in the third inning off Tyler Mahle, a 407-foot blast.

It was his second homer of the young season and the sixth overall, tying Tom Seaver for second among Mets pitchers and leaving him one shy of Dwight Gooden‘s franchise record. Home runs from Met pitchers had been something of a trend in 2019 as Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler each had gone deep already.

Once Syndergaard had his self-made lead, he proceeded to hold it. He retired the next seven Reds hitters and became the first Mets starter to get an out in the eighth this year when he got Scott Schebler on a grounder to shortstop.

The first two batters in the ninth went down, but then a single and a steal had the tying run on second base. Syndergaard, though, finished strong by striking out Yasiel Puig looking, his 10th K on the afternoon, and ensured himself as only the seventh pitcher to accomplish the DIY effort since 1920. The last pitcher to homer in a 1-0 complete game was the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Bob Welch on June 17, 1983 — also against the Reds.

Historical significance aside, it was important for Syndergaard to have a solid outing. The numbers for Noah had been an eyesore up to this point — sporting a 6.35 ERA with an opponent’s OPS of .827 by the time he took the mound.

One benefit that day was the warmer conditions. Syndergaard had cited that chilly temperatures in late March and throughout the month of April made it tougher for him to grip the ball. Under rather clear skies with the temperature a comfortable 66 degrees, Syndergaard carved up the Reds offense in 104 pitches — walking just one and allowing only four hits.

It was arguably the last great start of Syndergaard’s Mets career. Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2020 season and severely curtailed 2021 before signing with the Los Angeles Angels this past off-season.