ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Amid the clang of cowbells, Noah Syndergaard stalked off the mound, his face buried in his glove and hanging toward the ground.
The Rays had just pasted Syndergaard, the Mets’ imposing 22-year-old pitcher, for four runs in the first inning. He walked to the dugout soberly.
Syndergaard, who in his previous nine starts entering Saturday was 4-1 with a 1.80 E.R.A., uncharacteristically struggled as the Mets fell, 5-4, to the Rays at Tropicana Field. The loss broke the Mets’ seven-game winning streak and cut their lead in the National League East to two games.