NEW YORK _ Of the five young flamethrowers the Mets possess in their rotation, only Noah Syndergaard currently is able to take the mound every five days.
One is lost for the season, another likely won't pitch, one is on the disabled list, and Jacob deGrom is now likely to miss his next start due to soreness in his right forearm.
It leaves Syndergaard as the unquestioned leader of this staff for the time being, and puts the onus on him to deliver continuous fantastic outings.
Friday against the Nationals, Syndergaard did just that, but his teammates couldn't back him.
Syndergaard took a tough-luck loss despite allowing just two runs on three hits in seven innings in a 4-1 loss to the Nationals at Citi Field. Syndergaard (12-8) saw his three-game win streak snap despite a fantastic outing, and Asdrubal Cabrera homered for the Mets' lone run.
The Mets(69-66) remained two games back of the Cardinals for the second wild-card spot.
As deGrom will likely miss his next start, the Mets will need Syndergaard to resemble an ace each time he takes the mound. The rotation currently is without three of the original five starters who broke camp with the team, and 43-year-old Bartolo Colon is already exceeding expectations as is.
Matt Harvey will not return this season after undergoing surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and Steven Matz is currently on the disabled list with left shoulder tightness. The Mets also will likely not welcome Zack Wheeler back this year due to setbacks in his return from Tommy John surgery.
The need to skip deGrom arose after he experienced soreness in his right forearm Thursday during a laborious outing against the Marlins during which he tied his season-high by walking four batters.
Mets personnel have been concerned for a few weeks that deGrom is possibly dealing with fatigue, and a troubling development occurred after deGrom left the game when he motioned trainer Ray Ramirez to follow him into the clubhouse. DeGrom downplayed any injury concerns after the game.
Rafael Montero, Gabriel Ynoa and Logan Verrett are candidates to start Tuesday.
"Everything is fine. I was frustrated with how I pitched. Didn't feel great out there tonight but wanted to talk to Ray," said deGrom, who is 7-8 with a 3.04 ERA. "Can't throw the ball where I want right now and got to figure that out.
"Take the time between this next one and get things right."
Syndergaard pitched like an ace once again Thursday, and has now produced a dominant effort in three straight starts. He's allowed two runs in on seven hits in 22 innings in this stretch.
The Nationals exposed Syndergaard's slow delivery Friday to grab both their runs against him, and the Mets were trailing before they even came to bat in the first inning.
Trea Turner stole second and third with no outs after singling to start the game, and Syndergaard surrendered a sacrifice fly to center to Bryce Harper that put the Mets in a 1-0 hole.
A stolen base also helped set up Washington's second run when Harper stole third base with two outs in the fourth and then scored on Wilson Ramos' RBI single up the middle to give Washington a 2-0 lead. Syndergaard retired the final 10 batters he faced following that single to punctuate his fine effort.
The Nationals were successful with all four of their steals Friday, and it marked a step back for Syndergaard after he made strides in his last two outings to limit the running game. Syndergaard said he had sped up his delivery and it resulted in the Giants and Phillies totaling one combined steal.
Opponents own an 88.2 percent success rate (45-of-51) when stealing against Syndergaard, and the 45 steals the starter has allowed are by far the most in the league.
Syndergaard departed the game with the Mets trailing as the hitters were unable to muster much against A.J. Cole, who allowed just one run in six innings.
The Mets' lone run against Cole scored when Cabrera continued his sensational tear since returning from the disabled list by hitting his sixth homer in his last 45 at-bats to slice the lead to 2-1.
Cabrera just missed a homer down the right field line on the previous pitch before clobbering his 19th of the season, and he now has six in his last 14 games, including two straight games.
The Mets ultimately stranded two that inning, and also left two aboard to end the seventh.
