Noah doubt about it, ace just what Amazin’s need

THE SEASON’S f irst crisis arrived in the fourth inning, with one out. Certified Mets killer Freddie Freeman crushed a ball over Jay Bruce’s head in right field and the ball pinballed backwards, past Bruce. Freeman never stopped running, wound up at third, clapping his hands as Citi Field descended to silence.

In the home-team dugout, Terry Collins folded his arms and took a hard look at his pitcher, and it was hard not to be touched by a genuine sense of déjà vu. Syndergaard became a full-fledged star last year, 14 wins and a 2.60 ERA, all of it backed up with a punch-for-punch staredown with Madison Bumgarner across seven brilliant innings of the NL wild-card game.

But it was in the opening moments of his 2016 season, in Kansas City, when Syndergaard served notice what was coming. Alcides Escobar, the first hitter of 2016 to face him, tripled to the wall at Kaufman Stadium. It was some- thing of an inauspicious start.

Then he struck o ut Mike Moustakas. And struck out Lorenzo Cain. And struck out Eric Hosmer. And the tone for his next 30 starts was set.

“He gets in trouble,” Terry Collins said, “he ups his game.”

Now, these were the still-lowly Braves he was facing Monday and not the defending-champion Royals. But he did make Matt Kemp look foolish on a nasty changeup, then came back to fan Nick Markakis after falling behind 3-and-1. He did perform a similar escape act two innings later — first and third, one out — by once again embar- rassing Kemp and then getting Markakis to fly out to left, a blister on his middle finger ensuring that was the last pitch he’d throw in anger for the day.

And it electrif ied the sellout crowd of 44,384, most of whom had come to Citi Field under the assumption they were watching the first scene of what promises to be a fascinating 162-act play across the coming spring, summer and fall. They would get their fun in the seventh, the Mets dropping six on the Braves’ kick-me bullpen, and they’d even get one last belly laugh at Kemp’s expense, when he brain-locked his way to an everpopular 1-3-6 double play by hitting the snooze button past second that ended the game.

For the Mets, it was a satisfying 6-0 Opening Day victory over Atlanta, the very kind of team against whom they will need to be fat and happy all year. Syndergaard may not have gotten the win, but he forged it, made certain there was still a game to be won by the time the Mets actually got around to doing so two hours deep.

“A great way to kick the season off,” Collins said.

Syndergaard: “I was happy that I didn’t let the game speed up on me, and was able to find an extra gear. It’s why we compete, because this is fun. It’s really encouraging knowing I can get out of a couple of jams like that.”

The Mets will need more than Syndergaard every f ifth day, of course, no matter how overpowering he is. But as a foundation piece? He is exactly what the team requires, both in attitude and in performance. He ended last year with 12 scoreless innings — five in his final tune-up against Miami, seven against the Giants — and reported to spring training in extraordinary shape, promising to break radar guns all across the National League in 2017.

What may have been most encouraging about t hi s out- ing, though, is that it showed he embraces what his manager and pitching coach, Dan Warthen, want more for him: fewer strikeouts, meaning fewer pitches; more pitching to contact, which means more easy outs. He threw only 50 pitches for his first five innings, and would easily have reported for work in the seventh if not for the burst blood blister on …

Well as Collins quipped its geography: “I’m not allowed to tell you, this is a family-operated show.”

But he also summoned 98 when he wanted it, which made his change that much more devastating. Kemp has hit 240 major league home runs, don’t forget; he’d have needed a trampoline to have a chance against Syndergaard. That’s how good he can be. That’s how good he was. And when he’s that good? Well, there’s no telling how good the Mets can be. He makes them feel bulletproof. That’s a good place to start your work day.