ONCE AND THOR ALL
Noah tosses clean inning in long-awaited return to mound
Noah Syndergaard received a standing ovation as he jogged to the mound Tuesday night and yet another as he departed minutes later.
In between he threw 10 pitches, retiring all three batters he faced with two strikeouts. He was back — one day short of the two-year anniversary of his last appearance for the Mets.
Syndergaard, who underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2020 that had kept him removed from the major leagues until this night, served as the opener in a 2-1 victory over Miami in nine innings that completed a doubleheader sweep. The Mets won the first game, 5-2, behind five solid innings from Marcus Stroman.
“When I was walking out of the dugout, hearing the fans, I almost shed a tear,” Syndergaard said. “I’m not an emotional guy, but it got to me.”
Syndergaard, an impending free agent, admitted part of that emotion was knowing he might have been pitching at Citi Field for the final time with the Mets.
“[But] I’m fairly certain that we’ll reach an agreement and I’ll probably be pitching here next year,” Syndergaard said. “I would love nothing more than that. New York has a special place in my heart and always will be.”
Even so, Syndergaard said his confidence doesn’t stem from any conversations with the club about a contract.
“Just speculation and more hopefulness than anything,” he said.
The Mets could extend a qualifying offer to Syndergaard (which will likely be worth about $20 million next season) or could attempt to sign him for less. Asked specifically about the qualifying offer, Syndergaard said he would be “extremely grateful” if it was extended to him.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but it is definitely something I am hoping for,” Syndergaard said.
Topping out at 96 mph, Syndergaard featured a four-seam fastball and changeup (he’s been advised medically against throwing his slider and curveball this season). He struck out the first two batters he faced, Miguel Rojas and Jazz Chisholm Jr., on eight pitches before retiring
Bryan De La
Cruz on a grounder to third base. Nine of his 10 pitches were strikes.
The Mets initially hoped to have Syndergaard by mid-June, but that plan was scuttled when he incurred elbow tightness during a May minor league rehab start. Syndergaard restarted his rehab in July, but that was derailed briefly in late-August, after he tested positive for COVID-19. After his quarantine, Syndergaard pitched twice as an opener for Triple-A Syracuse. Syndergaard indicated he expects to pitch again before the season concludes. The Mets finish the season in Atlanta this weekend.
After watching their starters mostly get knocked around over the last week, the Mets could only be thankful for Stroman’s performance in Game 1, which helped the team snap a five-game losing streak.
Stroman allowed two earned runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts over four innings. It was his 21st start this season (of 33) in which he pitched at least five innings and allowed two runs or fewer. Stroman is also an impending free agent.
“I’m open to anything,” Stroman said, referring to his future. “At this point in my career I can’t wait to be on a team where I know I am going to be there longer than a year. It’s extremely gratifying. It took a thousand innings to get to this point, so I am looking forward to free agency — however it may play out, I know that it’s manifested and I am playing out the story as it should be. There’s no worries on my end and I know there will be a team or a few teams that want me, so I’m excited for the next few months.”
Stroman was also part of the offensive excitement. After reaching on third baseman
Eddy Alvarez’s throwing error in the second inning, he stole second and advanced to third on Nick Fortes’ errant throw on the play. It was Stroman’s first career stolen base. The last Mets pitcher to steal a base was Jacob deGrom during the 2017 season. Stroman said he told teammates before the game that if he reached base he was going to steal.
“And the situation just happened to present itself,” Stroman said. “I said, ‘I have got to do it. I can’t be all talk.’ I just got a good jump and got in there at a good time.”