LOS ANGELES — Noah Syndergaard took the mound Friday for his 10th career start, facing Clayton Kershaw, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and a Dodgers lineup featuring five former All-Stars, in front of more than 50,000 fans at historic Dodgers Stadium. And just before his first pitch, he took a breath so deep his cheeks puffed out like a blowfish.
Syndergaard then gave the type of performance that defines a player’s season, the kind that can instill confidence in a rookie and propel him to new heights. He suffocated the Dodgers, holding them to two hits and one run in six innings.