Noah Syndergaard (photo/MLB)
As much as you hate to admit it Royals fans, Noah Syndergaard has some good nasty stuff and he also knows how to shut down the champs. Syndergaard dominated again over six innings by allowing three hits, one walk and nine strikeouts as the Mets split the two-game Opening Series with a 2-0 win.
Syndergaard was the only Mets starter to win a World Series game and he rubbed KC fans the wrong way throwing over Alcides Escobar’s head in that game. Esky responded with a lead-off triple and it looked like the Royals would seek retribution early. However, the guy New York fans dub ‘Thor’, struck out Moose, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer to end the first.
Syndergaard retired 12 straight before Kendrys Morales’ double opened the fifth. Then when the Royals had him on the ropes in the sixth, Syndergaard fanned Morales on three straight pitches with the bases loaded to end the threat.
“We had the bases loaded in the sixth and he threw Morales a 95, 93 and 93 mph slider that there is not a man on this earth I believe could hit any of those pitches,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I even asked George (Brett), ‘Do you think you could even foul any of those off?’ And he said, ‘No way.'”
Neil Walker, who came over from Pittsburgh in a trade, hit a two-run homer off Chris Young on a day in which wind gusts were over 35 mph to left field.
The Royals will now take the next two days off before hosting the Twins starting on Friday.
