New York Mets ace Noah Syndergaard did not have a lot of help behind him during Wednesday’s important start against the Chicago Cubs.
Some defensive miscues enabled Chicago to drop six runs in the first inning. Even then, Syndergaard himself was not good. The veteran yielded 10 runs (nine earned) in three innings of work.
In doing so, Syndergaard became the first Mets pitcher to yield 10-plus runs in a start since Johan Santana back in 2010.
Given how bad some Mets teams have been since Santana’s tenure, this is an eye-opening stat. It’s also the first time since 2009 that a starting pitcher has yielded 10-plus runs against the Cubs.
This couldn’t have come at a worse time for Syndergaard and his Mets. New York entered Wednesday’s action with a 67-64 record and in fourth place in the NL East. It is also three games out of the final wild card spot.
Syndergaard’s ERA also ballooned from 3.71 to 4.14 after this start. That’s also pretty crazy given how late we are in the season.