PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard didn’t start out well in his second Spring Training start Saturday at First Data Field, but the tall right-hander said it was good to struggle a bit.
Syndergaard walked five Houston Astros batters, including George Springer, the game’s leadoff hitter. With one out, Michael Brantley grounded to first baseman Pete Alonso, and shortstop Danny Espinosa’s return throw on the potential inning-ending double play was behind Syndergaard and off his glove as he covered first base, allowing Springer to score the game’s first run.
“I was pretty out of synch," Syndergaard said of his 51-pitch effort. "I threw [four] balls to start the game, and was just really out of whack. My lower half and my upper half weren’t really quite synching up. I [was] just trying to guide the ball instead of drive it through the mitt."
Syndergaard also had his moments of sheer domination, which he is prone to. After Espinosa’s error, he retired the next four hitters – three by strikeout – and fanned Brantley looking on a 98 mph fastball before being replaced by Chris Flexen.
“I always think it’s great to struggle, that separates the men from the boys," said Syndergaard, who didn't allow a hit in the outing. "It’s how you react and make adjustments ... when you realize you don’t have your best stuff."
Houston beat the Mets 8-7, despite a grand slam from New York catcher Wilson Ramos (3-for-3) and a solo shot and two-RBI game from Michael Conforto (2-for-3).
Fast start
Luis Guillorme’s bat-catching exploits during Spring Training went viral two years ago, but the utility infielder is turning heads with his play early in the 2019 Grapefruit League season.
Guillorme went 1-for-2 in New York’s 7-1 win over the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland. The outing upped his batting average to .500 (4-for-8) as the stellar defensive player continued to have a good camp at the plate as well.
He credited his improvements to time spent with assistant hitting coach Tom Slater, who came over to the Mets last season after working in the New York Yankees' farm system from 2010-17.
“Slate and I worked on a few things throughout the season last year,” the lefty-hitting Guillorme said. “I just carried those things on in the offseason – trying to make the swing more consistent and drive the ball better.”
Wise move
Infielder T.J. Rivera (Tommy John surgery) is back on track after a recent setback in his throwing.
“I feel a lot better now than I did the other day,” Rivera said. “I had a little discomfort in my arm and was trying to be wise. In the past I’d usually try to fight through things.”
Rivera, 30, made the Mets’ Opening Day roster in 2017 but was injured later in the season. His partially torn ulnar collateral ligament necessitated surgery. He spent Saturday morning at the training complex playing soft toss and swinging the bat.
“Today was a big step,” he said. “The plan going forward is to try and get to that game speed without discomfort. I want to be able to play every day and in back-to-back games. That’s the goal.”
Great cause
Mets infielder Jed Lowrie and wife Milessa support Project Beisbol, a non-profit organization that helps young baseball players with disabilities. The Lowries will fit 17-year-old Colombian Jose Mosquera to play baseball on two legs for the first time.
Mosquera lost his right leg in a vehicle accident when he was 12, and Lowrie and his wife were moved by his story. The same day they heard about Mosquera’s plight, the Lowries wrote a check to cover the prosthetic leg and fitting procedure.
“It speaks volumes to what the game means to so many,” Lowrie said.
Mosquera and his Colombia teammates, who are in the U.S. playing baseball and softball and participating other youth-oriented workshops and projects, took part in a clinic with Lowrie during Saturday’s game, and Mosquera will be fitted for his new leg in Orlando while on the trip.
Done deal
The Mets signed outfielder Carlos Gomez, 33, to a Minor League deal Saturday. A product of New York’s farm system, Gomez played with the big club in 2007 before being traded the following offseason to Minnesota in a deal that brought the Mets left-handed pitcher Johan Santana.
Up next
The Mets travel south to face the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:05 ET on Sunday. Right-hander Zack Wheeler will make his second start for New York.