The Mets are cautious about using Syndergaard on Sunday because he warmed up several times before his relief appearance Thursday, but he said he his arm has “never felt better”.
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Left-hander Steven Matz, a 24-year-old rookie who made his debut in late June, is the Mets’ Game 4 starter and will be available out of the bullpen this weekend.
The Chicago Cubs are looking to tie up the National League Championship Series on Sunday night when they take on the New York Mets at Citi Field, and they will have their ace on the mound as Jake Arrieta tries to bring the series back to Wrigley Field knotted up at one game apiece. “I just feel like a completely different pitcher now”, he said. “There is absolutely no stiffness and he’s got no soreness anywhere and he wants to pitch, so we’re going to run him out there”. “I just went out there and tried to pretend I was starting the game all over again”.
Jacob deGrom, who won twice in the Division Series, is set to start Game 3.
If Syndergaard is sore on Saturday, the Mets will opt for Matz in Game 2. Perhaps someone should’ve tried to keep a lid on how many pitches he was throwing, but if he really threw close to 100 pitches before entering, it’s likely that he needs lots of warmups to feel loose.
Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos (61) hits a RBI single against Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher David Price (14) during the seventh inning in Game 4 of baseball’s American League Division Series Monday, October 12, 2015, in Arlington, Texas.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT DUDA: Alderson doesn’t view slugging first baseman Lucas Duda’s division series struggles at the plate as something to be overly concerned about. “Arrieta (22-6) led the major leagues in wins, and his 1.77 ERA was second-best in the major leagues behind the Dodgers” Zack Greinke.
Syndergaard was dynamite in his relief appearance against the Dodgers, but there was no way Collins was going to let him pitch a second inning.
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“The physical toll really hasn’t bothered me at all, but I think that the mental side of it and all the energy you burn leading up to the game does have a little bit of effect”, he said.
