LOS ANGELES — The story through the first 3 1/2 innings into the series finale between the Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon was about a former Mets ace. It very quickly turned into a story about the club’s current ace.
There was no score in the bottom of the fourth at Dodger Stadium when Max Scherzer was ejected shortly before the inning began. The umpires questioned him for the second time about illicit substances on his glove and he had even been asked to switch gloves earlier in the game. An argument ensued between Scherzer and two umpires, Dan Bellino and Phil Cuzzi, and the Mets right-hander was tossed.
The Mets went on to win, 5-3, to take the series, thanks to a timely two-run homer by Brandon Nimmo in the top of the fifth. His first of the season, it came right after Jimmy Yacabonis, who came into the game to replace Scherzer in the fourth, gave up the first run of the game to put the Mets down 1-0.
Nimmo went 5 for 5, and the home run came off of his former teammate, right-hander Noah Syndergaard.
Scherzer wasn’t in danger of coming out of the game anytime soon. In fact, the Mets had hoped to get him through at least six or seven innings, and Scherzer himself had talked repeatedly about his desire to go deeper into games after getting through only six his last time out in New York against the San Diego Padres. Scherzer last pitched eight days ago, needing a few extra days to deal with soreness in his mid-back. His final line read no runs on one hit, two walks and three strikeouts.
He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and then retired the next six in order before the ejection.
The Mets (12-7) scrambled to get Yacabonis (1-0) warm in the bullpen, and he went two and 2/3 innings, keeping the Dodgers at bay with only the one run on two hits. He walked one and struck out one. Jeff Brigham finished the sixth inning and Drew Smith pitched a scoreless seventh to hold the lead for David Robertson.
The Mets pushed an insurance run over the plate in the eighth when Tommy Pham scored Francisco Lindor on a sacrifice fly. It was crucial since the Dodgers took another run off Robertson in the bottom of the inning. But Mark Canha’s two-run double in the ninth pushed the game out of reach for the Dodgers. David Peralta homered off Adam Ottavino in the ninth inning and a fan then ran into the field to try to steal second base. Ottavino converted his third save of the season right after the fan was tackled by security and escorted out of the park.
The Mets also removed Starling Marte, who grounded into two double plays before exiting the game after the fifth inning. It’s been a tough month for the Mets on the injury front, with Justin Verlander starting the season on the injured list and Carlos Carrasco going down with an elbow injury earlier this week.
Syndergaard (0-3) was charged with the loss for the Dodgers (9-10), his third straight to start the season. This was the first time the big righty faced his former team and it became clear that this isn’t the same Syndergaard who blew hitters away with the Mets. The superhero persona appears to have disappeared along with his velocity.
Syndergaard has now played for three other teams following his exit from the Mets, going to the Los Angeles Angels, the Philadelphia Phillies and now the Dodgers in search of a team and a situation that will benefit him. He seems to have accepted his fate as a pitcher that has to fool hitters with guile, guise and control instead of the hard stuff he had before Tommy John surgery.
