The Los Angeles Dodgers failed to complete a sweep of the World Series thanks to the struggles of pitcher Noah Syndergaard, 31, whom they signed as a free agent for one year and $13 million. His next start is now uncertain. Syndergaard, who is on the verge of being dropped from the starting rotation, was frustrated.
The Dodgers dropped a 6-10 home game to the Washington Nationals on Sunday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA.
The Dodgers were looking to complete a three-game home sweep of the Nats, but were knocked around by five home runs in the game. The Dodgers are now 34-23, while the Nats, who snapped a three-game losing streak, are 24-32.
Syndergaard was tagged for five runs on seven hits (three homers) and two walks in five innings, striking out two and walking one. It was the second straight game he allowed five or more runs, following a six-run outing against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 27.
The Dodgers offense plated three runs in the first inning, but Syndergaard gave up back-to-back homers to Albert Lewis and CJ Abrams in the second. After getting two outs in the third and allowing a hit, a walk and a hit batter to tie the game, Syndergaard blew the lead with another home run in the fifth. With a 4-3 lead in the fifth, he doubled off Joey Meneses and then hit a two-run homer off Jamie Candelario.
A four-time double-digit wins leader and one-time All-Star (2016), Syndergaard was a 100-mph fireballer in his prime, but his decline has been evident as he hasn’t found his command since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his elbow in 2020. He was hoping to rebound with the Dodgers, who have a knack for revitalizing pitchers past their prime, but it seems unlikely. To date, Syndergaard is 1-4 with a 6.54 ERA in 11 games (52⅓ innings). He got off to a rough start in April, going 1-3 with a 6.32 ERA in six starts, and didn’t rebound in May, going 1-3 with a 6.86 ERA in five starts.
MLB.com reported, “Syndergaard slammed his glove down and hung his head. He was booed by fans on his way back to the dugout,” and “It’s a scene that has become all too familiar for Syndergaard and the Dodgers this season. Syndergaard, who signed a one-year, $13 million deal in the offseason, hasn’t quite gotten going yet. “The Dodgers are 3-7 in the 10 games Syndergaard has started, accounting for nearly one-third of the team’s losses (22).” The struggles continued with five runs in five innings in Washington.
After the game, Syndergaard said, “It sucks. I feel like I’m the biggest weakness on this team. I want to compete and succeed like everyone else in this clubhouse, but it’s not working out.” “It’s not easy trying to make big changes between starts, but I’m going to do everything I can to get back to my old self,” he said.
But now he’s not even sure when his next start will be. “I can’t say right now if Syndergaard will start the next game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. With starters like Julio Urias, Dustin May, and Michael Grove out with oblique injuries, the Dodgers can’t afford to push Syndergaard any further. He’s likely out of the rotation.메이저놀이터
Meanwhile, the Dodgers tied the game 5-5 on Miguel Rojas’ RBI single in the seventh, but their bullpen collapsed in the eighth. Bruce de Graterol gave up a game-winning three-run homer to Luis Garcia. In the ninth inning, Phil Bickford gave up a wedge two-run homer to Luis and the white flag was raised. Dodgers Mookie Betts went 2-for-5 with his 12th and 13th multi-homer games of the season, but came up short in the loss.