http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/03/sports/baseball/ny-mets-philadelphia-phillies.html 2016-10-03 03:31:39 The Mets and Noah Syndergaard Ready for the Giants and Madison Bumgarner A loss to the Phillies marked the end of the Mets’ regular season. A high-stakes duel comes on Wednesday. === PHILADELPHIA — As the And sure enough, as the Mets finished dressing, the Giants’ victory became official, setting the stage for Wednesday’s win-or-go home National League wild-card game. The Mets will play host to the Giants at Citi Field, and they will have to face the exceedingly formidable Madison Bumgarner, who is one of the standout pitchers in postseason baseball. Matched up against him will be the Mets’ own intimidator, Noah Syndergaard, who stands 6 feet 6 inches, throws 100 miles per hour and is as fearless as Bumgarner is, although his major league résumé is a lot shorter. The basic 2016 statistics say this: Syndergaard finished third in the majors this season with a 2.60 earned run average over nearly 184 innings, along with a 14-9 record. Bumgarner finished just behind him with a 2.74 E.R.A. and a 15-9 record, but with far more innings pitched (227). But beyond the immediate numbers is the understanding that the left-handed Bumgarner and the right-handed Syndergaard could very well create a memorable matchup on Wednesday night, one that could be the highlight of the first week of the 2016 postseason. “You’re going to face great pitching in the postseason,” Mets Manager Terry Collins said as he pondered his team’s date with Bumgarner. “I know they’re in their clubhouse saying, ‘Wow, we’ve got to face Syndergaard.’” This is an even year, and by now, the feat is well-worn but worth noting: The Giants have won the World Series every even year starting in 2010, and Bumgarner has been part of each celebration. In 88 ⅓ innings in the postseason, Bumgarner has a 2.14 E.R.A. He started the 2014 National League wild-card game in Pittsburgh, tossed a shutout, struck out 10 and sent the Giants to a division series. And in the World Series that year, Bumgarner turned in a herculean effort by starting and winning Game 1, throwing a shutout in Game 5 and firing five scoreless innings of relief in Game 7. “We’ve got our hands full,” said the Mets’ veteran utility man Kelly Johnson, a left-handed hitter who, somehow, is 7 for 20 against Bumgarner. But, Johnson added, “we’ve got a pretty big guy on our side, too.” Last year, as a rookie, Syndergaard lost his first postseason start ever in a division-series game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But he fired a scoreless relief inning in the deciding Game 5 of that round and allowed one run over five and two-thirds innings in Game 2 win of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs. And in Game 3 of the World Series, he delivered a win over Kansas City by allowing just three runs over six solid innings and throwing a boldfaced brushback pitch to start the game. “He’s not afraid,” Collins said. “He’s not intimidated. He’s the right guy.” On Sunday, Syndergaard threw a bullpen session to stay sharp for Wednesday’s start. One potential issue for him: He allowed a major league-high 48 stolen bases. He was paired with the strong-armed catcher Rene Rivera during the season because of that issue. And it remains one, because every 90 feet in a one-game playoff can loom large. The Giants ranked 14th in baseball with 77 stolen bases. That is not a lot, but it may be enough to prompt the Giants to run as much as they can. “To me, it’s more important that he throws a quality pitch and gets the batter out at home plate than worrying about the base runner,” Rivera said. Mets officials met before Sunday’s game and will do so again as they plan their postseason roster. The lineup, too, will be a consideration. Right-handed batters hit .220 against Bumgarner this season, while left-handers hit .178. Mets switch-hitters Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera have hit well right-handed against left-handed pitchers. Additionally, Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, a right-hander, has been among the best in baseball against left-handed pitching. The Mets faced Bumgarner twice this season and lost each time. On a damp May 1 at Citi Field, Bumgarner outdueled Syndergaard as the Mets lost, 6-1. Bumgarner struck out seven and tossed six scoreless innings. Syndergaard, on the other hand, allowed four runs over five and two-thirds innings. On Aug. 18 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, a depleted Mets team scored four runs and drew three walks against Bumgarner over five innings. The game’s biggest moment was in the fourth inning, when T. J. Rivera singled, and Wilmer Flores and Travis d’Arnaud both walked to load the bases. Then Justin Ruggiano, an outfielder who the Mets had signed two weeks prior, smashed a grand slam. Only one player, Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies, has more career home runs against Bumgarner than the three that Ruggiano has. Ruggiano had shoulder surgery on Sept. 12, however, and is done for the year. The Mets still lost that game, 10-7, because Jacob deGrom, who later underwent season-ending elbow surgery, could not hold a four-run lead. In fact, the Mets have never beaten Bumgarner. He is 5-0 with a 1.80 E.R.A. in six starts against them in his career. But they get another shot on Wednesday with just about every baseball fan watching.