While Robert Gsellman and the Mets were in Jupiter for Saturday’s regularly scheduled Grapefruit League contest, Noah Syndergaard remained in Port St. Lucie, where he threw five innings in a minor league game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Syndergaard looked sharp, striking out eight batters and allowing one unearned run for the Mets’ Hi-A team in their 3-2 victory.
Unlike most minor league spring training games, Saturday’s contest was played in the main stadium at First Data Field. The game was open to the public, but barely 50 fans filled the seats. Everyone in the stadium, including a large contingent of Mets minor-leaguers sitting behind home plate, was amused with every fastball that Syndergaard blew by the helpless Cardinals batters. One of them, St. Louis outfielder DeAndre Asbury, remarked on the immense speed of Syndergaard’s change-up as he returned to the dugout after striking out.
The unearned run allowed by Syndergaard came around to score after Travis d’Arnaud, who caught for the right-hander but did not bat, committed a throwing error on a stolen base attempt in the first inning.
The Mets were limited to five hits offensively, with catcher Scott Manea and outfielder Arnaldo Berrios picking up two each. Manea gave his team the lead in the third inning with a two-RBI single, then scored on a wild pitch after doubling in the sixth inning. The 21-year-old backstop was signed as an undrafted free agent last July, and made 13 appearances with the Kingsport and GCL Mets.
Box:
Cardinals: 100 001 000
Mets: 002 001 000
Raphael Ramirez CF: 0-3, K, BB, CS
Scott Manea EH-C: 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB, R
Michael Paez 3B-SS: 0-4, K
Arnaldo Berrios RF: 2-3, BB, CS
Dash Winningham 1B: 0-4, K, E
Milton Ramos SS-2B: 1-3, BB, 2 K
Walter Rasquin 2B: 0-4, K
Jeremy Wolf LF: 0-3, R, K
Nick Sergakis EH-3B: 0-3, SB, R
Noah Syndergaard: W, 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
Taylor Henry: H, 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Ty Williams: H, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Thomas McIlraith: H, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Max Kuhns: H, 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Adam Atkins: SV, 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
I wonder if the cardinals brass get pissed at something like this. It becomes a useless day for them in terms of evaluating their own Minor league talent
It’s a great opprtuntiy to se MILB’ers agains top stuff.
These are all pretty much arm builders for the MLB Starter, and “see it hit it” for the hitters—happens all the time in spring—it’s a special bonus for the MILB PLayers.