Noah gets nod to start opener
PORT ST. LUCIE — Noah Syndergaard will be the Mets’ Opening Day starter March 29 when they play the Cardinals at Citi Field.
After Syndergaard finished his fourth spring training start Tuesday — 4.2 innings of work against the Astros in which he recorded five strikeouts, walked three and gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits — Mets manager Mickey Callaway made the announcement about Syndergaard. Callaway added that Jacob deGrom will pitch the second game of the season, March 31.
“I think he’s deserved it,” Callaway said of Syndergaard’s Opening Day honors. “He’s looked great. He did a great job this offseason of getting his body where it needed to be.”
Syndergaard, who missed most of last season with a partially torn right lat muscle, gassed Houston leadoff hitter George Springer with a 99 mph fastball for strike three to open the game.
“I feel like things are starting to come together mechanically. Just feeling real confident on the mound right now,” Syndergaard said. “Basically just executing every single one of my pitches. It’s nice to be able to go out there, throw whatever you want, say, ‘What if?’”
Syndergaard ran into trouble in the second when the Astros loaded the bases on a single, walk and an infield squib sandwiched around A.J. Reed’s strikeout. But with the bases jammed, Syndergaard recorded consecutive whiffs of Tim Federowicz (looking) and Jake Marisnick (swinging). In the third, the Astros plated two runs on an Evan Gattis tworun single, but shortstop Jose Reyes helped Houston by flubbing a Carlos Correa grounder for an error the batter before Gattis.
“Hopefully we see them in the World Series,” Syndergaard said of Houston. “Those guys (Correa, Springer and reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve), they’re young and very talented. They’re gonna be some of the top 10 faces of baseball for a long time.”
Syndergaard is the first Mets pitcher since Johan Santana (2008-10) to make consecutive Opening Day starts.
“We think that’s a pretty good one and two coming out of the gate,” said Callaway. USA TODAY