Mets ruin Noah Syndergaard’s night with many scouts watching

A handful of scouts for contending teams came to see Noah Syndergaard pitch Wednesday night at Citi Field.

They were treated to a course on why the Mets are no longer contenders themselves.

Syndergaard was solid, finishing strong despite a season-high five walks, but he did not get any help from his shoddy defense or wasteful offense as the Mets fell to the Padres 7-2.

A three-run, two-error top of the third inning was too much to overcome for the Mets (46-55), who left the bases loaded twice on the way to their fourth loss in six games after a four-game winning streak.

With scouts from the Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, Braves, Dodgers and Rays in attendance, Syndergaard flashed some of the talent teams are intrigued by across his seven innings of work. He gave up eight hits, four runs (three earned) and five walks (one intentional), but struck out eight in his second-to-last scheduled start before next Wednesday’s trade deadline. He retired 13 of the final 17 batters he faced against a team that has been interested in the pitcher, who is under Mets control through 2021.

Things got sloppy in the top of the third, when the Padres broke a 1-1 tie and took the lead for good. After striking out Fernando Tatis Jr., Syndergaard issued back-to-back walks on nine pitches to Manuel Margot and Manny Machado. Margot stole second and third, setting him up to score on Eric Hosmer’s sacrifice fly. Jeff McNeil’s throw from right field would have been close, but the one-hopper got past catcher Tomas Nido, advancing Machado to second.

Hunter Renfroe then knocked in Machado on a single to left field, where Dominic Smith ran past the ball, allowing Renfroe to take second. Franmil Reyes capped off the rally and made it 4-1 by ripping an RBI double to left field, which resulted in another error from Smith as his throw back to the infield sailed wide of the cutoff man.

Michael Conforto doubled to lead off the bottom of the third and came around to score to cut the deficit to 4-2. But the Mets did not get another base runner until Amed Rosario doubled with one out in the seventh. They went on to load the bases with two outs, but Conforto could not capitalize, striking out to end the threat.

The Mets had squandered their other big chance in the first inning. McNeil doubled and scored on Conforto’s single for the 1-0 lead before they loaded the bases with two outs, only for Rosario to fly out.

Syndergaard had escaped trouble himself in the top of the first. With runners on the corners and one out, he snagged Hosmer’s line drive right at him and tossed to first for the inning-ending double play.

But the Padres got to Syndergaard for a run to tie the game in the second inning. Hunter Renfroe led off with a single and eventually scored on Austin Hedges’ two-out single.

The Mets bullpen ensured there would be no late comeback by giving up three runs over the final two innings. Jeurys Familia got tagged for two runs in the eighth inning and was booed off the mound again after recording just one out.

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