When Noah Syndergaard tore his right lat muscle last April 30 at Nationals Park, the Mets lost not only baseball’s most electric pitcher but also their special rotation.
For whatever came behind Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, the Mets’ hopes of competing last season hinged largely on a 1-2 combo atop the rotation that rivaled, if not surpassed, any in baseball. And that same philosophy holds as the Mets attempt to compete for the playoffs in 2018.
In Thursday’s opener at Citi Field, the Mets didn’t receive their best Syndergaard, but he was good enough, allowing four runs over six innings with 10 strikeouts in a 9-4 victory over the Cardinals.