PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Ex-Met Chris Young produced a three-run homer in the sixth inning against Jerry Blevins, and Antonio Bastardo and Hansel Robles followed by surrendering two runs apiece as the Boston Red Sox notched a 9-4 win against the New York Mets on Sunday before an announced crowd of 7,710 at Tradition Field.
Bastardo’s Grapefruit League ERA swelled to 8.10.
Noah Syndergaard allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked none while comfortably sitting at 97 mph with his fastball.
“I was able to locate all of my pitches for strikes, throw breaking pitches in uncomfortable counts. So, all in all, I’m very pleased with today,” Syndergaard said. “I felt like I’ve been really consistent so far with being able to repeat my mechanics. I feel like there’s some things I’d like to continue to work on, just to continue to make things easier on the mound. But, overall, I’m very pleased. I kind of shocked myself a little bit with how consistent I’ve been this entire spring training. I’m looking forward to transferring it into the season.”
Syndergaard said room for improvement exists in terms of being quicker to home plate with his delivery, which will result in fewer stolen bases against him. Fifteen of 16 would-be base stealers were successful against him in 2015.
Syndergaard also suggested that a haircut is necessary since his golden locks have started to get in the way of his pitching.
On a positive note, Syndergaard believes his mechanics being so sharp this spring training may be a byproduct of pitching all the way through the World Series and having less downtime in the winter.
“Last year, the amount of innings I threw over my max, I felt like it helped quite a bit in terms of not losing that muscle memory over the offseason,” Syndergaard said. “Once I got on the mound this offseason, it was right back where I left off.”
Left footnote: Making his second straight start in left field, Juan Lagares had a slicing liner from lefty-hitting Travis Shaw glance off his glove in the fourth inning. The misplay allowed Xander Bogaerts to score from second base with the game’s opening run.
“It was a little tough, but I got there. I was supposed to catch that one,” said Lagares, who was charged with an error.
Manager Terry Collins has decided to take a look at Lagares in left field, with Yoenis Cespedes remaining in center field, when both are in the lineup. The logic: Collins believes there may be value in having Cespedes play one position rather than shuffle between left field and center field.
However, if that alignment becomes the norm against left-handed pitching during the season, it places a Gold Glove-winning center fielder in left field and a Gold Glove-winning left fielder in center field.
"We haven't made up our mind what's going to happen," Collins said.
Lagares last played left field in 2012 with Double-A Binghamton, plus that subsequent winter-ball season in his native Dominican Republic.
“I have to keep working to feel more comfortable,” Lagares said. “I played left field in the minor leagues, but that’s a long time that I haven’t played it.”
Take two: In his second Grapefruit League game, David Wright finished 1-for-3. He was credited with an RBI single when his comebacker deflected off reliever Noe Ramirez and Matt Reynolds hustled to score from second base. Wright logged five innings at third base.
Wright did fail to get to a grounder that Collins believes he will get to once the captain has more spring-training work under his belt.
"I've seen him for six years get it," Collins said.
Wright should play again on Monday, marking his first time in back-to-back games this spring training.
“I just want to keep getting at-bats and keep getting some balls hit to me at third,” Wright said. “But I’m feeling more and more comfortable. The more games, the more at-bats you get, it seems like more of a routine now rather than trying to figure out what the preparation is. Now I’ve got it where it feels like playing baseball again.”
Running men: The Mets scored three runs in the fourth inning thanks to a series of hustle plays against Ramirez and Carlos Marmol. Before Reynolds scored from second base on the Wright grounder that ricocheted off Ramirez, Travis d'Arnaud scored on a wild pitch and Lagares scored on the back end of a double-steal as Reynolds took second base.
What’s next: Jacob deGrom faces right-hander Jarred Cosart and the Miami Marlins on Monday at 1:10 p.m. ET at Tradition Field (SNY).
