Noah Syndergaard exits the game with a Mets trainer during Friday night’s game at Citi Field.
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Gonzalez (5-8) pitched into the sixth as the Nats won their third straight against the Mets and beat them for the ninth time in 13 matchups this year.
The Washington Nationals were looking for a great game from Stephen Strasburg tonight after a tough loss last night.
Syndergaard fell behind early tonight when Clint Robinson hit a two-run home run to right on a 97 miles per hour 1-1 fastball low and inside that the Nationals’ first baseman clobbered.
Syndergaard will not undergo an MRI, Collins said Saturday, and there’s no further diagnosis other than fatigue.
“We’ve got two more games to go”, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.
The injuries to Cespedes and Syndergaard came hours after the Mets announced Opening Day starter Matt Harvey will undergo season-ending surgery to fix thoracic outlet syndrome.
Cespedes was pulled after three innings with a strained right quadriceps. He made a sliding catch on a sinking liner by Ben Revere to open the third before chasing down an RBI double two batters later by Daniel Murphy. The Mets called Syndergaard’s issue “arm fatigue” and said it was “not elbow related”. Each time, Syndergaard continued pitching and did not miss a start, but he was diagnosed with a bone spur in his right elbow.
“His arm went dead. He’s got a exhausted arm and (his) stuff went away”, manager Terry Collins said. “But he said there’s no pain”.
Collins noted that the injuries will prevent Cespedes and Syndergaard from playing in Tuesday’s All-Star game in San Diego, California. They are expected to be examined Saturday. I took it and then he threw another one about the same speed. Scherzer replaces his teammate, RHP Stephen Strasburg. But I’m running out of things to say.
“Just shows how good they swing on the days I pitch, I guess”, the usually stoic Strasburg said with a rare laugh.
This time, he held NY hitless until Asdrubal Cabrera homered leading off the fifth. He walked Nimmo with two outs in the seventh and ended his night by retiring Rene Rivera on a grounder to short.The Mets threatened in the eighth, when Wilmer Flores led off with a double against Shawn Kelley and Jose Reyes followed with a single.
The Indians also got home runs from Carlos Santana, Lonnie Chisenhall and Mike Napoli, the five home runs being a season high for the streaking AL Central leaders. I think my arm felt good. I saw the 93 and that’s a little bit harder than his slider.
Jonathan Papelbon earned his 18th save.
If the prescription for Syndergaard is rest and makes his return a little later after the All-Star break, the Mets are very lucky. At 53-36, the Nationals set a team record for wins before the All-Star break, snapping the mark from 2005, the club’s first season in Washington after the move from Montreal.
During the 7-1 streak at home, the Mets have outscored their opponents 55-31, hitting 22 home runs over that stretch in which their hitters have a combined.313 AVG (86 for 275). “So, he’s as advertised”.
The start was delayed 37 minutes by rain. His 12 of the season and second in two nights cut the lead to 3-1.
ASTROS 10, ATHLETICS 9 Luis Valbuena drove in four runs, highlighted by a three-run home run with one out in the ninth, to lift host Houston to a wild victory over Oakland. Lucas Duda, their slugging first baseman, is on the disabled list still.
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The New York Mets are finding themselves in a hell hole full of injuries.
