Nats chase Syndergaard after disastrous short outing
Noah Syndergaard looked like anything but a superhero Monday as the New York Mets right-hander was forced to depart against the division rival Washington Nationals after just three innings.
Syndergaard, known throughout baseball as "Thor," was replaced in the fourth inning by Sean Gilmartin after allowing five earned runs on seven hits and walking three.
With the exception of a May 28 outing in which he was ejected for throwing behind Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley, it was the shortest start of Syndergaard's career.
Washington also took advantage of the towering right-hander on the base paths, stealing five bases against him and battery mate Travis d'Arnaud - four of which came in the third inning.
| PLAYER | INNING | RESULT |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Revere | 1 | Steals 2nd |
| Ben Revere | 3 | Steals 2nd |
| Bryce Harper | 3 | Steals 2nd |
| Anthony Rendon | 3 | Steals 2nd |
| Danny Espinosa | 3 | Steals 2nd |
Syndergaard has allowed more stolen bases (28) than any other pitcher in baseball.
The 23-year-old Mets fireballer could still be experiencing symptoms from elbow discomfort, which chased him from a start Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals, although manager Terry Collins told reporters postgame there was no elbow flare-up.
Syndergaard still lit up the radar gun Monday with several of his pitches hitting 100 mph, but his command looked to be an issue as he struggled to finish pitches.
He said earlier this week his elbow issue could be due to an increase in workload. He's already thrown 94 innings during 16 appearances this season after throwing 150 during his entire rookie campaign.