Sometimes, the plot comes to you, and it’s up to you to embrace it.
Re-enter Thor into the Mets’ universe, just in time.
Losing streak? Injury epidemic? A mighty opponent? Noah Syndergaard yawned in the face of multiple adversities Tuesday night and saved the day.
“I’ve been able, my entire life, to tune out whatever’s going on around me,” the Mets’ gigantic right-hander said, after leading his club to a 2-0 victory over the rival Nationals at Citi Field. “It just kind of happened naturally.”
Naturally, the Mets (22-16) are now even with Washington (23-16) in the loss column atop the National League East, with the Nats holding a half-game lead.
The Mets returned home after a draining trip through the NL West that saw them lose their last four games, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the mediocre Rockies. Lucas Duda never made the lineup, thanks to back discomfort, and David Wright got scratched from the lineup, thanks to back discomfort. And this short-handed lineup, with Eric Campbell at first base and Matt Reynolds (making his major-league debut) at third base, would have to take on Nats stud Max Scherzer, who tied baseball’s all-time record in his previous start by striking out 20.
Syndergaard, who followed Scherzer’s epic performance May 11 with some history of his own, slamming two homers to beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles, shrugged off all that noise, as well as all of the hype surrounding reigning NL Most Valuable Player Bryce Harper. In three at-bats against Syndergaard and one against Mets closer Jeurys Familia, Harper, who leads baseball with 41 walks, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and two groundouts, failing to get the ball out of the infield.
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“He’s an unbelievable ballplayer. Great athlete. Very talented. I can see why a lot of people would walk him,” Syndergaard said. “But I just went out there and was pitching to my strengths, went right after him.”
In all, Syndergaard struck out 10 and walked none while allowing just five hits over seven innings, rather effortlessly protecting the thin lead he received via solo homers by Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto. He now owns a 2.19 ERA.
“It’s a tough guy to hit,” Harper said. “He goes out and throws 90 pitches and strikes out 10 and does what he does. Not many offenses can go out there and punish the ball against a guy like that.”
Syndergaard threw a total of 13 pitches, seven in the first inning, which registered 100 mph. When you dominate like this, then you don’t worry as much about the other guys stealing bases on you, and the only one who attempted such a theft, Ben Revere, got thrown out in the sixth inning. After Jayson Werth singled with two outs, up came Harper, who went ahead in the count, 3-and-0.
“I just threw a first pitch, 3-and-0 sinker for a called strike,” Syndergaard said matter-of-factly after the game, reflecting on that at-bat. “One of my finer changeups I threw all night [for strike two]. Slider to strike him out.”
He threw many fine pitches, including, as Syndergaard pointed out, a fair number inside to Harper, returning hero Daniel Murphy and Danny Espinosa.
“I know that their lineup is really a big threat, so I was just trying to make it unpredictable up there,” Syndergaard said. “Trying to make them a little uncomfortable.”
“I think we have to [throw inside],” Terry Collins said. “These guys are very, very good. They’re very good offensively and you’ve got to keep them honest. … I thought Noah did a good job of that tonight.”
“Huge, crucial game,” Syndergaard said, very calmly. “Nice win back home.” And with the crisis extinguished, the Mets can resume their rightful roles as serious contenders.
