This wasn’t just outside noise from the fans, the Chicago media and scouts following the Cubs.
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Rivera collected his third hit of the night when he lined an opposite field single off Cubs’ closer Hector Rondon (L, 1-2) to give the Mets their first lead of the night. The Cubs went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position against him.
Closer Jeurys Familia escaped a bases-loaded jam with a game-ending double play after Rene Rivera drove in the tiebreaking run with two outs in the top of the ninth, lifting the Mets to their fifth victory in six games against the Cubs this season.
After allowing a single and double to start the second, Syndergaard induced a fielder’s choice to get the lead runner off third, and left the bases loaded when Kris Bryant flied out to center. Familia improved to 33-for-33 in save conversions.
“He’s got the great sinker”.
“Sometimes you may have to do things that are hard”, Twins owner Jim Pohlad said. “I hate to have him walk guys, but he’s confident when he does. There’s a reason he has all those saves”.
Hansel Robles (4-3) pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the win.
Syndergaard repeatedly flirted with danger but mostly came out unscathed in a no-decision. Syndergaard’s velocity started dipping at that point in his previous start. The Cubs appeared to have found a groove with wins in four of five before losing Tuesday with their offense falling silent.
The Mets labeled it arm fatigue and placed Syndergaard at the back end of the rotation for the second half to maximize his rest. “So we’re going to ease him into it”. He didn’t throw his arms up and say, ‘Not tonight.’ He really worked hard.
The Cubs will need Arrieta at the top of his game in October, when great pitching beats teams like the Mets (50-43).
An unsung play in the contest came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Michael Conforto threw out Arrieta at home to end the inning.
The only run to score against Syndergaard was unearned. The most glaring mistake was a throwing error by Rene Rivera which allowed Willson Contreras to score from third.
In the second, the Cubs placed runners at second and third with no outs, but Jason Heyward was caught off third on a grounder to the mound.
“I’ve tried to stay the same throughout”, Arrieta said, “regardless of the other results or the circumstances, understanding that what I’ve done in between starts has been very effective over a long stretch”. “And I threw that away. (But) I felt pretty crisp in terms of mechanics out there”.
Last year’s NL Cy Young Award victor got back on track after allowing four or more earned runs in three consecutive starts for the first time since 2012.
Syndergaard on his start: “To be able to compete in games like that when you go out there and you don’t necessarily have your best command, they’re fun to be able to compete in, because it really shows your true colors and your competitiveness”.
Miami’s Ichiro Suzuki, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in right field, grounded out and walked.
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Fernandez pitched 6⅓ innings and became the fastest pitcher to reach 500 strikeouts in the fewest innings: 400. We had some opportunities, but he made some good pitches. He had to deal with baserunners in each of the first four innings but only allowed a run in the third. As quiet as the Mets were at the plate against Arrieta, they did muster a tying run in the sixth. Jose Reyes, who tripled in the sixth and scored the Mets’ first run on Curtis Granderson’s sacrifice fly, fielded the bunt instead of trying to let it go foul.
