September 4, 2013

Running timeline.....Noah Syndergaard opens the EL Playoffs

Glued to MiLB.com, ready to go to watch the B-Mets open the EL playoffs. Noah Syndergaard takes the mound tonight. This is not game diary, per se, more so a running look at Drago in his last start of the year. Also, I will be “blogging” real time, so it’s going to read disjointed and jumpy at times….im not sorry.

Bottom of the 1st:

Mason Williams at the plate: Three fastballs to start the night. 1-1 count, Williams taps a 98 MPH heater right back to Noah. Easy first out. Fastball explodes

Ramon Flores at the plate: Seems to be getting squeezed a bit on 1-0 pitch, but could be off center camera angle. 2-1 FB hit to Tovar deep in the hole, infield single. (of note, 7 straight FBs.)

Jose Pirela at the plate: FB to start. Even from the stretch, Noah is bringing effortless heat. 0-1, CB comes out, low and outside. Good “try and get him to chase” pitch. 1-1 FB, lined into right. Left it up a bit, and Jose went the other way nicely.

Gary Sanchez at the plate: 1st pitch CB, MUCH better this time. Freezes Sanchez. 0-1 curve, not as good. 1-1 FB outside, at 96. 2-1 FB blows by Sanchez at 97, late life on it. Sanchez out on strikes, although might not have swung through.

Tyler Austin at the plate: FB to start. GAS. 0-1 CB bounced. 1-1 CB left up, and Austin takes Noah to the left-center wall for a double.

Kyle Roller at the plate: Roller rolls over a 97 MPH FB to ground out in front of the plate.


Not the start I am sure Syndergaard wanted, but the pitch action looks good.


Bottom of the 2nd:

Ben Gamel at the plate: FB to start, good life. 0-1 pitch, Gamel swings through another FB. 0-2 FB inside at 97. 1-2 CB DEVISTATING action, right on the outside corner. Best pitch of his night.

Reegie Corona at the plate: Corona swings through first pitch FB. 0-1 FB is lofted to dead center. Pitch was up, but Corona could not really square it up.

Ali Castillo at the plate: First pitch FB. 0-1 CB is again NASTY, right on the outside of the pate. 0-2 change (I think his first of the night) is wasted in the dirt. 1-2 FB a little low, great location though. 2-2 98mph FB fouled off. Count runs full. 3-2 FB (according to field gun) at 101mph RIGHT on the outside corner. Reverse K to end the inning.


Command was MUCH better here. His pitches have so much life, if he can continue to command like this, look out. The CB to strike out Gamel was filthy in its action AND location. (late P.S. confirmation from @zachmort of Baseball Prospectus, “true” guns around him had last pitch to Castillo at 100mph. Please excuse me as I take a victory lap around my house)



Bottom of the 3rd:

Mason Williams at the plate: 1st pitch FB, outside. Yikes, 1-0 FB was almost a no movement change…no chance for Mason. 1-1 FB lined out. Noah is getting into a nice groove right now.

Ramon Flores at the plate: CB to start, FILTHY.. FB to follow up, Flores WAY behind on it. 0-2 FB, good golly, 97 at the letters, Flores FLAILS.

Jose Pirela at the plate: First pitch up high. 1-0 CB, again, great command, just outside. 2-0 FB grounded weakly to Muno.


Nice 8 pitch inning for Noah there. This is his last start of the season, so it should be interesting, especially with Sandy A in attendance, how long they let him go. But right now? He is cruising. Mets fans…….get excited.



Bottom of the 4th:

Gary Sanchez at the plate: first pitch FB at 96mph. Yikes. Follows with another FB just inside…set up pitch? Yup, 1-1 FB BURNED onto the outside corner for a swinging strike. 1-2 FB at 98, at Sanchez’s eyes…sit down.

Tyler Austin at the plate: 1st pitch FB. Austin, another piece of good hitting, takes it the other way for another double. Austin, highly touted….deserves it.

Kyle Roller at the plate: Roller takes FB up high. OMG. 1-0 CB, unhittable. 1-1 FB just off the outside corner. The command is really good. 2-1 FB, swing and a miss. Another flail. Couple of 2-2s fouled off. Third one fouled off. Good work by Roller here, first batter to truly battle. FB gets Roller to hit one to Tovar for a close out.

Ben Gamel at the plate: (apologies, coverage cut out for a bit) Hits FB up the middle that Tovar can’t field cleanly. Run comes in.
Reegie Corona at the plate: FB first pitch swinging, flies out.


As always for me, I am not TOO concerned about the outcome of the game, I am more concerned about how the prospect looks. So, yes, Noah has given up 3 runs, but I am in love with the action, command and life. This is a BIG time pitcher we are watching.


Bottom of the 5th:

Ali Castro is at the plate: Wow, 1st pitch FB, blows it by him. 0-1 FB fouled back. 0-2 CB, again, a try and hit purpose pitch. 1-2, FB dribbled to Noah.

Mason Williams is at the plate: 1st pitch FB, high strike. 0-1 FB at around 96 buzzes one high. 1-1 FB fouled straight back. Yikes….98 on the 1-2 FB. 6 Ks.

Ramon Flores is at the plate: First pitch off speed, not a great pitch. 1-0 CB, dirty again. 1-1 FB, up high. 2-1 FB hit up the middle for a 1B. Good piece of hitting.

Jose Pirela is at the plate: First pitch CB in the dirt. 1-0 FB is ridiculously good on the outside part of the plate…and low. Unhittable. 1-1 pitch is dribbled to 2B….however, Muno was covering 2nd on a hit and run. Bad luck there.

Gary Sanchez is at the plate: 1st pitch, lost the CB up and in. 1-0 FB is a little low. Still easy action. 2-0 FB is DEAD ON target, inside and low. 2-1 FB popped out of play. This should be an interesting pitch selection. First 2-2 FB is fouled off. Second one is as well. (95 according to the gun) 2-2 CB, NICE pitch, Sanchez taps one to Syndergaard.


It’s been a LOT of innings and a LONG season for Noah, we might be seeing a bit of fatigue right now. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as if he was down to 88 on his FB, or he was laboring by any stretch, but the long season may be catching up to him. That said, that was a GUTTY inning from Drago, getting out of a couple of weak hits without any real damage. Again, Mets fans, get excited.



Bottom of the 6th:

Tyler Austin is at the plate: Austin has given Noah fits tonight…this should be good. (and the feed went out…)

Kyle Roller is at the plate: (feed went out again, sorry) got back in time to see a 3-1 FB go low and issue his first walk.

Ben Gamel is at the plate: First pitch is low and outside. Coming up on 90 pitches. 1-0 pitch is a beaut, swing and a miss. 1-1 FB is JUST inside, at 97. 2-1 pitch is a fastball swung through. Life is STILL there on FB. 2-2 is taken up and in. BIG pitch here. 3-2 FB PAINTS the corner, another reverse K. WOW. Such late life.

Reegie Corona is at the plate: CB to start, bends over (again) for strike 1. 0-1 is up high, FB. Still exploding. 1-1 FB is waived at by Corona. 1-2 is fouled off, another FB that looks (at least on iPad TV to be about 120mph) OMG, this might be his last pitch of the night, but a RIDICULOUS CB sits Corona down.


Ok, that curveball to end the 6th was in the top three pitches he has dealt tonight. For someone whose curve has been “questioned”…..it looks pretty good to me. (I am not a scout obviously) Give him another 2 months in the minors next year to set back Super 2……he will have a bigger impact than Wheeler (whom I love as well) next year.


#lgm

Follow me on twitter @dougplourd - Thanks for the read

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