Noah Syndergaard endured another outing that had rocky moments as the Los Angeles Dodgers were unable to overcome an early deficit and suffered a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in the second game of the Freeway Series at Angel Stadium.
The right-hander gave up five runs on nine hits (two home runs) in five-plus innings of work. He pitched into the sixth inning but was removed after allowing a leadoff single.
“I felt good. I feel like I checked a lot of the boxes that I was looking to accomplish,” Syndergaard said after his start. “I induced a lot of weak contact but suffered from the long ball.
“I feel like they capitalized on pitches in the middle of the zone; some of them with two strikes, so I’ve got to be more selective on the location. Other than that, definitely always trending forward.”
Syndergaard signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Dodgers during the offseason with the hope that the organization would be able to help him return to his previous form.
Syndergaard focused on adding velocity to his fastball, and while he has been able to do so, he still hasn’t been able to reach triple digits. That was an initial proclamation but it’s since been revised.
“Just the organization and the amount of resources and help they’ve given me. If I don’t throw 100 (mph) again, that’s fine. I’m not going out there trying to throw 100,” Syndergaard explained.
“I’m going out there trying to get outs. We’re getting into the season now. That’s really not all that important to me. If I can just trust my delivery, which I did for the most part tonight, then I think I’ll be in a pretty good position.”
Syndergaard’s fastball velocity was around 93-94 mph for most of the night and topped out at 95 mph.
Syndergaard believes he will be able to continue fine tuning things before his first start of the regular season in Sunday’s series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. “I feel like I’m really close,” he began.
“I’m tinkering with things every day just to see what works for me. I look at other pitchers and see how their bodies move, and sometimes I try to apply that, which doesn’t necessarily work for me.
“I’m going to watch a lot of video from 2019 and the previous years, just trying to get to that kind of comfort and those positions. Just get back to that point of confidence and conviction.”
Noah Syndergaard enjoyed facing former Angels teammates
Monday’s Freeway Series matchup between the Dodgers and Angels saw Syndergaard and Tyler Anderson face their former teams. “I see those guys as brothers. I really valued my time with the Angels,” Syndergaard said.
“I’ve always thanked Perry (Minasian) and the Moreno family for allowing me that opportunity, and the Angels fans for welcoming me into their families and homes. It was fun, but once the Freeway Series starts to matter, I don’t know how lackadaisical and smiley I’ll be with the other guys.”
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
