Syndergaard hit the ground running after his debut last May, finishing the regular season with back-to-back double-digit strikeout performances and holding his own in the postseason.
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Syndergaard admitted that he would not have had the confidence to throw that pitch in that situation past year as a rookie.
The Kansas City Royals presented World Series Championship rings to players, coaches and front-office staff members before Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets. The Royals were slated to start newcomer Ian Kennedy opposite Syndergaard, but a hamstring issue late in spring training forced Kennedy’s start to be pushed back, giving Chris Young the nod Tuesday.
Syndergaard pitched six dominant innings and the Royals got just three hits in a 2-0 loss to the Mets.
Yankees Manager Joe Girardi argued with plate umpire Dana DeMuth that Correa should have been called out for running on the fair side of the foul line, causing Betances to throw the ball over Teixeira for an error. Factor in his control – he walked fewer than two batters per nine last season – and you have the makings of something intriguing. It happened 380 times overall across baseball.
DeGrom’s wife, Stacey, is expecting the couple’s first child this weekend, and deGrom is with the team in Kansas City.
The 23-year-old right-hander opened the game by surrendering a leadoff triple to Escobar but then struck out three consecutive Royals on off-speed pitches to strand the runner at third. Syndergaard responded by striking out Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez and retiring Omar Infante on a weak comebacker.
Syndergaard pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, striking out Morales on three swings.
Perhaps most impressively only one of his strikeouts came using his fastball, which touched 100mph in the first inning and regularly sat at 99mph.
The Mets hope that Syndergaard’s day becomes fairly routine. Of the other eight, six came on sliders (average 91.8 mph) and two on changeups (average 91 mph), both of which were faster than anything offered by Young throughout the day.
“I’ll probably wear it for a little bit, break it in, then put it away for safe keeping”, Royals pitcher Danny Duffy said. Syndergaard buzzed Royals leadoff hitter Alcides Escobar with the first pitch of that start last October, prompting some sharp comments from Kansas City players at the time and some whispers of retaliation leading into the teams’ season-opening two-game series.
“They’re a very aggressive team”, Syndergaard said. “They got me on that one, it’s fine”.
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Syndergaard allowed three hits, struck out nine and walked one.
