Noah Syndergaard dominates as Mets roll to third straight win

WASHINGTON – He was No-No-Noah in the sixth inning Tuesday night, and just enough to finish the Nationals without incident.

The Mets will take you from Noah Syndergaard every day: Eight largely stress-free innings.

"Pitching is a lot more important than you think," said the Synders after their third straight, 6-2 at Nationals Park, and moved to .500.

Wilson Ramos provided the offensive with a first-in-large slam and the night then belonged to Syndergaard, who had a second dominant performance in his past three outings. The other was a shutout against the Reds two weeks ago at Citi Field in which he homered for the game's only run.

"Tonight the change was really good, but the fastball command, he was dotting his fastball," manager Mickey Callaway said after watching the right-handed surrender four hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 102 pitches.

Syndergaard said he threw one slider the entire game, and spiked it. In recent starts, Syndergaard has struggled to get a consistent grip on his slider.

"I feel like I was in one of those back-myself-in-a-corner situations and the only way I could get to relax and have fun," Syndergaard said.

Victor Robles hammered Syndergaard's 74th pitch of the night for a two-run homer in the sixth that pulled the Nationals within 5-2.

Syndergaard had the chance to go to the game, but was more likely to get worse. Adam Eaton to hit a double play with runners on first and second. Robles' homer was his third in three games against Syndergaard.

Wilmer Difo singled out leading the sixth for the Nationals' first hit. To that point Syndergaard had only one batter over the minimum.

The no-hit watch was on as Yan Gomes hit a grounder that Pete Alonso knocked down before flipping to Syndergaard wrapping first for the final out in the fifth. But Syndergaard said he was not thinking of no-one entering the sixth.

Ramos' fourth career big slam gives the Mets a comfortable first-inning lead. The Nationals appeared to escape the inning on Robinson Cano's double play grounder, but the Mets challenged the play at first base, and the call was overturned by replay. Alonso singled and Michael Conforto walked before Ramos cleared the left-field fence against Jeremy Hellickson for his second homer in a uniform Mets.

"Callaway said," He got the head of the air, which is something we have been looking for. "Even in BP we're trying to make a little bit more middle-in to make sure he gets the head out, and great swing in a big moment."

Before the game, Callaway pointed out the Mets were 17-11 with Ramos behind the plate and said that it was enough to stick with the slumping backstop.

"The catcher, you have got two jobs: behind the platform and offensively," Ramos said. "I have been doing a good job with those guys behind the plate, they have been throwing the ball real good, and I have to separate those two things – not only hit the ball well, but just call a good game."

Brandon Nimmo extended the Mets' lead to 5-0 with an RBI double in the fifth, after Conforto singled and Ramos walked. Dominic Smith smashed a pinch-hit homer in the ninth for the Mets' final run.

Syndergaard plunked the Nationals' first game, Eaton, before Robles hit into a double play. Anthony Rendon walked leading to the second, but the Nationals did not get another base runner until Difo singled leading the sixth.