SAN DIEGO -- Noah Syndergaard is not any less imposing on the mound. But teams have discovered one thing that makes Thor ever-so-slightly mortal: Syndergaard is susceptible to the stolen base.
The Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants combined to go 8-for-8 in steal attempts against Syndergaard in his past two outings. In his career, Syndergaard has allowed 27 steals in 29 attempts.
The Mets will encourage Syndergaard to be quicker to the plate when he faces the San Diego Padres on Friday at 10:40 p.m. ET at Petco Park.
“If you keep those guys that steal bases off the bases, you don’t have to worry about it. That’s one of the things he’s always done in the past,” manager Terry Collins said. “We’re going to ask him to try to certainly quicken his delivery a little bit. But if he loses command of his stuff, then we’re defeating the purpose.”
Of course, some of the issue is with the catchers. Against the Reds, a scout had Travis d’Arnaud ranging from 2.05 to 2.15 seconds getting the ball to second base, “which is below average.” Kevin Plawecki similarly was slow in Syndergaard’s outing against the Giants.
Syndergaard (2-1, 2.51 ERA) will oppose left-hander Drew Pomeranz (2-3, 2.48) in Game 2 of the four-game series against the Padres. Pomeranz becomes only the fourth southpaw starter the Mets have faced this season, which likely means an opportunity for Juan Lagares and Wilmer Flores to start.
The Mets have won six straight series, which is their longest streak since 2006. They will need to win the next three games in San Diego in order to extend that streak.
The forecast actually calls for thunderstorms on Friday in San Diego. Already, the tarp had been placed on the field and rain was falling late Thursday. There have been only three rainouts at Petco Park since the stadium opened in 2004.
FRIDAY’S NEWS REPORTS:
Colin Rea took a no-hit bid two outs into the seventh inning, when Yoenis Cespedes broke it up with an opposite-field single. Rea proceeded to continue a shutout bid into the ninth before surrendering a leadoff homer to Curtis Granderson. The Padres beat the Mets, 5-3, in Thursday’s series opener. Cespedes added a two-run homer later in the ninth against Brad Hand. Cespedes insisted he was not trying to beat the shift when he singled through the vacated right side of the infield. Jacob deGrom suffered his first 2016 loss. DeGrom identified a mechanical flaw involving his elbow dropping as a root of Thursday’s struggles. He allowed a first-inning solo homer to Wil Myers and a second-inning RBI single to Rea. DeGrom ultimately was charged with three runs on eight hits and a walk in five innings. The Padres, by the way, are the lone active franchise without a no-hitter. Read game recaps in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Post, Daily News, Newsday, Times, Record and at NJ.com and MLB.com.
Former Mets pitcher Bobby Ojeda tells Mike Puma in the Post that the Mets should not ignore Syndergaard’s susceptibility to steals out of concern for harming his mechanics. “That would be a blockhead approach -- not a good approach,” Ojeda tells Puma. “Believe me, there are guys who have that mentality. I hope he doesn’t, because every base hit, every walk cannot be a double. You’re not going to win. You are going to throw some great games and you are going to lose 3-2, 2-1, 4-3. He will be a very good losing pitcher. It’s very similar to a golfer: I can drive the ball good, I can hit great irons, but if I can’t putt, I’m not worth anything. So you have to make adjustments if you want to be a winner, and I think that’s what most guys want to be.” Read more on speeding Syndergaard’s delivery in Newsday.
Columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post delves into deGrom’s mechanical issue that involves dropping his elbow.
Lefty reliever Josh Edgin is likely to remain with Triple-A Las Vegas when his rehab assignment expires Sunday. Edgin’s velocity in his last appearance with the Pacific Coast League club was only 87-88 mph, according to Collins. Edgin also has not yet worked on back-to-back days, which is a prerequisite to returning to the Mets following Tommy John surgery, Collins added. Read more in the Post and at MLB.com.
As Mother’s Day approaches, Anthony DiComo at MLB.com catches up with Michael Conforto’s Olympic-gold-medal-winning mother, Tracie.
Chasen Bradford’s wild pitch allowed the decisive run to score in the bottom of the 10th as El Paso beat Las Vegas, 7-6. Rainy Lara took a scoreless effort into the seventh, but he allowed two runs in the frame and Binghamton lost to Portland, 2-1. John Mora drove in two runs and Wuilmer Becerra upped his league-leading batting average to .405 in St. Lucie’s 8-3 win against Fort Myers. Read the full minor-league recap here.
Anthony Rieber in Newsday gets Ron Darling and David Cone to weigh in on the pitch counts in the game today.
Marc Carig in Newsday suggests the Mets’ early season homer totals might be sustainable for the full year.
Jim Baumbach in Newsday catches up with Ray Knight, who plans to attend the pregame ceremony on May 28 honoring the 30th anniversary of the 1986 championship. Knight is now a broadcaster for the Washington Nationals.
From the bloggers … Mets Report suggests Matt Harvey deserves some culpability if his 2015 innings count has led to a hangover.
BIRTHDAYS: Willie Mays turns 85. ... Mike Kinkade is 43.
TWEET OF THE DAY:
Me to Post reporter: "Stink-o de Mayo" story lede?
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) May 6, 2016
Post report: "No, it's become too cliche."
YOU’RE UP: Which ’86 Met are you most excited to see participate in the May 28 pregame ceremony? Virtually all of the living members of the team will attend. The exceptions are Roger McDowell, Mel Stottlemyre and, possibly, Doug Sisk.