WASHINGTON _ "I knew there was nothing happening in there."
That was Noah Syndergaard's explanation late Friday night on why he "refused" to have an MRI a day earlier after he was scratched from a start because of right biceps soreness.
On Sunday, Syndergaard's bravado proved to be detrimental to himself and his team. And as the day ended, Syndergaard was headed back to New York to have an MRI _ because something was happening in there _ and third-string catcher Kevin Plawecki was pitching the final two innings of the Mets' 23-5 loss to the Nationals.
An ineffective Syndergaard left the game with one out in the second inning after throwing a 90-mph changeup to Bryce Harper and grabbing his right side in pain.
Syndergaard immediately stumbled off the mound, removed his glove and flexed his right arm. His left hand rested under his right armpit as manager Terry Collins and trainer Ray Ramirez raced to the mound.
Seconds later, Syndergaard was headed to the dugout with what the Mets later termed a "possible lat strain." Syndergaard left Nationals Park during the game and was unavailable to discuss the turn of events that probably has him heading to the 10-day disabled list.
Syndergaard was throwing hard _ several 100-mph fastballs _ but still allowed five runs and five hits in the first inning. He threw 38 pitches total.
Syndergaard had not pitched since April 20. He defied the Mets when it came to their suggested MRI on Thursday and volunteered the fact of his refusal to the media. Syndergaard was annoyed the Mets scratched him on Thursday in the first place.
"I had a little hiccup in my arm," Syndergaard said on Friday in what may be his last public comments for a while with the Mets beginning a four-game series in Atlanta on Monday. "I think I know my body best ... I'm pretty in tune with my body and that's exactly why I refused to take the MRI."
On Saturday, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson quipped about the pitcher's refusal.
"That's not standard practice," Alderson said. "But I can't tie him down and throw him in the tube either."
Anthony Rendon (6-for-6, three home runs) had a Nationals-record 10 RBIs as Washington hit seven home runs _ three off Plawecki _ to salvage the finale of the three-game series. The Mets, who had lost six in a row before this series, were feeling pretty good about themselves after beating Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg in the first two games.
Now, they have fresh worries about their ace and a fresh round of questions about how Syndergaard and the team handled the initial injury and whether that led to Sunday's debacle.
The Mets were trailing 5-1 when Sean Gilmartin replaced Syndergaard and they came close to making a game of it, pulling to within 6-5 by the fourth inning. Rene Rivera and Jay Bruce hit solo home runs, Gilmartin had an RBI double and Michael Conforto chipped in with an RBI single off Nationals starter Joe Ross.
But Gilmartin allowed four runs in the fourth and Fernando Salas gave up three in the fifth as the Nationals took a 13-5 lead.
Rendon, who had a two-run single off Syndergaard in the first, added a solo home run in the third, a three-run shot in the fourth, a three-run double in the fifth that was about a foot from being a grand slam and a solo homer off Plawecki in the eighth. Rendon had zero homers coming into the game.
After Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer off Josh Smoker with no outs in the seventh to make the score 19-5, Collins trotted out and Plawecki took the mound for his major-league debut as a pitcher.
Plawecki retired three batters on long fly balls. In the eighth, he gave up a leadoff homer to Bryce Harper, a two-run shot to pinch hitter Adam Lind and a solo homer to Rendon.
