The New York Mets got a rougher than normal start from Noah Syndergaard, and the bullpen put the game out of reach again after his departure.

  • Final Score: Phillies 6, Mets 4
  • WP: Aaron Nola (2-0)
  • LP: Noah Syndergaard (1-1)
  • SV: Hector Neris (1)
  • NL, Final, Box Score
  • Citi Field, Queens, New York
The New York Mets showcased yet another overall sloppy performance in their 6-4 loss tonight to the Philadelphia Phillies, closing out the three-game set with their National League East rivals in Queens.

The defeat brings the Mets to an 8-8 record, placing them in a worse position divisionally to open 2017 than most expected at the dawn of spring training.

Say It Ain’t Yo’

Manager Terry Collins was forced to create a makeshift lineup following the injuries of Travis d’Arnaud and Lucas Duda, as well as the sickness of Wilmer Flores, leaving Jay Bruce to man first base.

So the big story of the night has to be the Mets’ prized possession in Yoenis Cespedes coming up limping while baserunning from first to second, adding to the growing list of DL candidates.

The Mets are starting to fall into a worst case scenario, where three starters are currently down, with the severity of each case unknown at this point.

Cespedes was 1-for-2 with a walk before getting pulled.

Syndy Has Trouble

At first glance, Noah Syndergaard produced a quality start against a mediocre Phillies lineup, tossing seven innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and no walks, while striking out 10.

But it is to be noted that a rough night in the field, including three errors — an errant thrown each by Bruce and Juan Lagares, as well as a rough play with the glove for Asdrubal Cabrera — caused Thor to actually have allowed five runs on the evening, with three of those being earned.

The start that saw Syndergaard throw two wild pitches brings his ERA on the season to a still unbelievable 1.73.

What Else to Know From Tonight

Neil Walker smacked his first home run of the season to center — a three run shot off Phillies starter Aaron Nola in the third inning. It was Walker’s only hit on the evening, as he tacked on a walk and a strikeout for good measure.

Bruce’s start at first base didn’t go as planned, as the southpaw committed an error on a throw during his time on the right side of the diamond. His struggles in the field may have gotten to his head, as Bruce went 0-for-3 on the evening with a run scored, a walk and a strikeout.

Incumbent closer Jeurys Familia made his first appearance of 2017 after being activated off his 15-game suspension handed down a few weeks ago by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. The power-righty labored through one inning of work, needing 30 pitches to throw a scoreless frame that featured two walks and two strikeouts.

Michael Conforto also surprising got the call to play center field over Curtis Granderson, with Grandy playing right field in Bruce’s stead. Conforto did impress though, making a couple of nice grabs.

What’s Up Next

The Mets will stay at home for their next three-game series against the 10-5 Washington Nationals.

Righties Tanner Roark and Jacob deGrom are tentatively scheduled to pitch tomorrow night at 7:10 p.m. at Citi Field.

Chris recently graduated with a Journalism degree from Montclair State University. Baseball is his love and he hopes to bring back some of the old-school popularity to the game. Chris Thompson covers the NY Jets and NY Mets for Elite Sports NY. You can interact with him on Twitter @Time2Topher.