Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard isn't pitching like the dominant pitcher he has shown capable of being. And he knows he needs to be better.

"To be quite honest, the entire beginning of this season, my performances have been unacceptable," Syndergaard told reporters after Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Cardinals. "I have to be better. I will be better. There's no excuses for it."

Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and Cardinals RHP Dakota Hudson go way back to the Cape Cod League and college, when they'd face each other as SEC foes, Alonso with the University of Florida and Hudson with Mississippi State.

So even though Alonso could have had Sunday off after taking a pitch to the hand on Saturday, he lobbied manager Mickey Callaway to get a chance to face Hudson.

And Alonso, who went 0-for-4 against Hudson in college, got revenge.

Noah Syndergaard struggled on the mound as the Mets lost for the fourth time in the last five games with a 6-4 loss on Sunday at Busch Stadium. >> Box score

Six things to know about Sunday's game

1) Syndergaard (1-2, 5.90 ERA) allowed six runs (four earned) and eight hits in five innings. In five starts this season, he has allowed at least four runs four times.

2) Pete Alonso, Syndergaard, Robinson Cano and Michael Conforto each hit solo homers, however the Mets wet 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base.

X-rays came back negative on Mets second baseman Robinson Cano's right hand.

Cano left Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals after taking a 93.9 mph Andrew Miller fastball to the right hand in the seventh inning.

Cano went down in pain, however umpires ruled it was a foul ball, a call that manager Mickey Callaway argued, which led to his ejection.

Pete Alonso could have had the day off Sunday. Instead, he wanted to face Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson and called manager Mickey Callaway Saturday night, pleading his case to be in the lineup.

Callaway desired to exercise caution toward his rookie first baseman, who exited Saturday's 10-2 loss in St. Louis after being plunked on the hand with a pitch. X-Rays confirmed that he was OK, and Callaway heeded Alonso's request. 

The decision proved wise. Alonso blasted off to center field on an 0-1 offering from Hudson during his first at-bat of the afternoon. The ball traveled an estimated 444 feet and left the bat at 114.7 mph. He now has eight home runs on the season. 

The Mets have reshaped their roster over the last year and change, saying goodbye to some familiar faces (some beloved, some not) in the process. Every week, we'll take a look at how some of those former Mets are performing with their new teams...

Wilmer Flores, Diamondbacks

Flores is hitting .236 in 17 games. So far, he has no homers and only one RBI with four doubles with his new team. 

The Mets (11-9) look for a series win over the Cardinals (11-9) in the rubber match of the three-game set at Busch Stadium on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. 

Mets Notes

A win Sunday would give the Mets their third series win of the season. Additionally, a win would give the Mets their 10th road win of the season, which would tie the Mariners for the league lead. ... Pete Alonso is one of two New York rookies to bash seven homers through his first 20 games. Aaron Judge did it for the Yankees in 2017. ... Brandon Nimmo has reached base safely in each of his last 10 games, batting .355 (11-31) with 10 runs, three doubles, three home runs, seven RBI, seven walks and a .487 on-base percentage. ... Jeff McNeil's 100 career hits are the most all-time through 82 games by a Met.

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

As Jeff McNeil is already making it clear that last year was no fluke, that he's going to hit in the big leagues, and probably for a long time, he's become a favorite topic of conversation among scouts.

Part of it is his throwback approach, choking up on a knob-less bat, making contact to all fields, which appeals to the purist nature of scouts who for the most part have disdain for the home run-or-strike out style that is so prevalent in today's game.

The Mets (11-9, second place in the NL East, 1. game behind Phillies) play the St. Louis Cardinals in the final game of a three-game set on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. 

Here's what went down on Saturday in case you missed it...

Jeff McNeil made team history at the dish. >> Read More

There wasn't much positive that came out of the Mets' loss in St. Louis on Saturday afternoon, but Jeff McNeil did make franchise history. 

With an infield single in the top of the seventh inning, McNeil became the fastest Met to reach 100 career hits. 

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE HIT

Following the Mets' 10-2 loss to the Cardinals on Saturday, the Mets called up LHP Daniel Zamora from Triple-A Syracuse and sent down the day's starter, RHP Chris Flexen.

Zamora will work as extra bullpen help for New York. The lefty has appeared in five games with the Syracuse Mets this season, pitching to the tune of a 1.80 ERA over five innings. 

The 26-year-old had a very brief stint with the Mets in 2018, where he owned a 3.00 ERA over nine innings of work.

On Saturday, Pete Alonso took a pitch in the hand, but luckily it doesn't look to be anything concerning for the Mets. 

Manager Mickey Callaway told SNY's Steve Gelbs after the loss to the Cardinals that Alonso was headed for X-Rays following the injury.

"He's getting X-Rays as we speak," he said. "Not overly concerned. He seems like he's doing OK."

The Mets couldn't get things going at the plate in St. Louis on Saturday, as the Cardinals handed them a 10-2 loss. >> Box score

Five things to know about Saturday's game...

1) Chris Flexen got the spot start for the Mets in place of Jacob degrom, who was placed on the IL with a sore elbow. He didn't fare well against the Cards, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits over 4.1 innings. While he didn't record a strikeout, he allowed four walks in his outing as well. 

As the Mets' bullpen struggles, they have remained in touch with free agent reliever Craig Kimbrel. Here's the latest...

April 20, 4:02 PM:

The Mets still remain among teams interested in signing Kimbrel. But, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the team is only willing to sign Kimbrel if he was open to pitch in any role. This is obviously due to Edwin Diaz solidified in the closer role for now. 

The Mets appear to have some reason for optimism surrounding Jacob deGrom's elbow. 

After placing the right-hander on the 10-day injured list on Friday and scheduling an MRI in New York for Monday, Mets manager Mickey Callaway told reporters before Saturday's game against the Cardinals that deGrom may not have an MRI at all, although he will still be evaluated by doctors. 

DeGrom even long-tossed from 120 feet on Saturday and said afterward that everything "felt completely normal."

The Mets (11-8) look to build off Friday's win as they face the Cardinals (10-9) at Busch Stadium on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. 

Mets Notes

Chris Flexen makes the spot start in place of the injured Jacob deGrom. ... Jeff McNeil's .391 batting average is tied for the second-highest in the majors this season. His 99 career hits are also the most all-time by a Mets player through his first 81 games. ... Michael Conforto has reached base safely in 12 straight games since April 6. ... Brandon Nimmo is back in the leadoff spot after missing some time with a stiff neck. He has reached base safely in his last nine games

The Mets (11-8, first place in the NL East, tied with Phillies) play the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a three-game set on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. 

Here's what went down on Friday in case you missed it...

In the Mets' 5-4 win over the Cardinals, Pete Alonso went deep again and his solo shot proved pivotal as the bullpen bent but did not break as they held onto the victory. >> Read more

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

There was bound to be panic among Mets fans, no matter how the news was delivered that Jacob deGrom was going to get an MRI, but in retrospect it sure seemed the ballclub raised the panic level higher than necessary with what appeared to be some level of miscommunication.

After all, how could anyone not think the worst when Mickey Callaway announced Friday afternoon that deGrom was being scratched from his Saturday start, and heading back to New York for an MRI on his elbow -- immediately, it seemed.

Over the next hour or so, however, Brodie Van Wagenen released a statement providing important context, saying deGrom felt better after getting treatment from the medical staff on Friday, and wouldn't be getting that MRI until Monday, while staying with the team in St. Louis for the weekend series against the Cardinals.

After the news that Jacob deGrom will get an MRI on his elbow cast a pall over the Mets, they went out and defeated the Cardinals Friday night, 5-4. >> Box score

Six things to know about Friday's game...

1) Pete Alonso did another Pete Alonso thing in the sixth inning, crushing a solo home run 432 feet to center field with an exit velocity of 111.7 miles per hour. It turned out to be a huge homer as that put the Mets up 5-1, and their bullpen went on to give up three runs. Alonso finished 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs. He now has seven homers and 18 RBI this season.

The Mets will call up RHP Chris Flexen from Triple-A Syracuse to start on Saturday in place of the injured Jacob deGrom, who is set to undergo an MRI Monday on his elbow. 

Flexen has made two starts in Triple-A so far, allowing seven earned runs in 12 innings. In his last outing he allowed five runs (two homers) in six innings on six hits and two walks.

Pete Alonso has done it again, hammering a line-drive home run as the Mets beat the Cardinals on Friday night.

The following is a statement sent via text from Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen. It echoes what we previously reported from other sources -- that the Mets are not particularly concerned about the injury.

"Jacob dealt with sickness over the last week and hasn't been able to conduct his normal routine between starts. As a result, he has been scratched from tomorrow's game. Additionally, Jacob experienced some mild soreness in his throwing arm over the last 24 hours. His arm felt significantly better following treatment with our health and performance staff today. Even so, Jacob will be evaluated by our medical team in New York on Monday in the abundance of caution.

"We will be placing Jacob on the IL retroactively to April 16th enabling him to return on Friday the 26th when we begin our series with the Brewers. We will make a corresponding roster move prior to tomorrow's game."

Mets RHP Jacob deGrom is having his Saturday start pushed back because his elbow has been "barking" and will undergo an MRI, manager Mickey Callaway said before Friday's game. He'll get the MRI on Monday.

"DeGrom is going to be pushed back tomorrow, he's not gonna pitch," Callaway said. "He's been under the weather, his elbow is a little barky. We're gonna get him back to New York. Get him checked out, have an MRI, and go from there at this point."

DeGrom had initially been pushed back from Friday to Saturday due to strep throat. As far as the elbow issue, Callaway said he first started feeling it Friday...

The Mets (10-8) begin a three-game series against the Cardinals (10-8) in St. Louis Friday at 8:15 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

Jason Vargas tries to right the ship as he takes the hill one day earlier than expected. He was moved up from Saturday originally because Jacob deGrom had strep throat, but on Friday Mickey Callaway said deGrom would be sent for an MRI on his "barking" elbow, meaning Vargas might have more job security in the short-term. ... The Mets have lost four of their last five games. ... Since 2009, the Mets have a 10-21 record in St. Louis. ... Jeff McNeil is hitting .500 (8-for-16) with runners in scoring position, tied for fifth-best in the National League. ... Brandon Nimmo remains out of the lineup with a stiff neck but should be available to pinch-hit.

As Jason Vargas takes the hill in St. Louis against the Cardinals on Friday night, the Mets will be scouting his potential replacement.

The Mets will be in hand in Buffalo as Gio Gonzalez -- who SNY's Andy Martino reported is "increasingly likely" to opt out of his deal with the Yankees on Saturday -- starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

Martino added that the Mets seem more open to adding Gonzalez now than in the offseason, when they weren't interested.

On the season premiere of The Amazin' Life presented by Coca-Cola, Todd Frazier tries to give teammate Brandon Nimmo some New Jersey style!

Gio Gonzalez appears increasingly likely to opt out of his minor league deal with the Yankees on Saturday, according to multiple major league sources. If he does, the Mets could be more of a fit than they were in the offseason.

On Friday, Gonzalez switched agents from Scott Boras to CAA. The move was intended to set him up with representation that he felt more comfortable with, in the event that he would become a free agent again.

If Gonzalez requests his release from the Yankees on Saturday, per a clause in his contract, the team will have 48 hours to add him to the major league roster. With Domingo German pitching capably and CC Sabathia back from the injured list, there is no obvious spot for Gonzalez -- though the Yankees could promote him and either piggyback him with German or put in him their rotation, in order to retain control.

Some pitchers just evoke a certain type of emotion when you spot their name in a pitching matchup. In the case of Vargas -- as Mets fans unfortunately know all too well -- it could be anger. For a bettor, it might be a signal to instantly "fade," or bet against.

There's no question Vargas has been a disappointment since arriving in Flushing last year. After his latest dud, one that saw him record a mere one out last Saturday, the 36-year-old has now crafted a brutal 6.32 ERA in his 22 starts (and one relief appearance) with the Mets. Suffice to say, his days in the rotation could be numbered.

Pete Alonso has not wasted any time in making his mark with the Mets. 

The rookie first baseman has six home runs and 17 RBI with a slashline of .323/.413/.708 through the first 18 games of his career. 

He has even put himself in the same category as Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton with his 454-foot, 118.3 mph home run against the Braves on April 11 -- the ninth hardest hit ball ever recorded by Statcast and hardest ball hit by a player not named Judge or Stanton. 

The Mets began a 13-game stretch last week that included 10 games against the Phillies and Braves.

I believed the Mets would need to win at least six of those 10 games -- which would put them around 14-10 heading into their next homestand -- to avoid hitting the panic button too early.

To date, they have won just two of seven during this stretch, with three left against the Phillies, whom they will play at Citi Field after beginning a three-game series Friday against the Cardinals in St. Louis.

Todd Frazier is continuing his slow crawl back to the Mets, with his rehab stint shifting to Triple-A Syracuse and his activation necessary by early next week unless he has a setback.

Mets manager Mickey Callaway spoke earlier this week about Frazier's return, saying what was already known -- Frazier will not be the full-time starter at third base. Instead, he will split time there with J.D. Davis and -- when he isn't in the outfield -- Jeff McNeil.

The Mets have some choices to make when Frazier returns and are in for some really hard playing time choices when Jed Lowrie comes back. For now, the focus is on Frazier. Here's how things could shake out when he returns...

As Jason Vargas struggles, the Mets have remained in touch with free agent starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel. Here's the latest...

April 18, 12:14 PM:

Keuchel is open to signing a one-year deal and then "resetting," reports Jon Heyman of FanCred. It was reported by Ken Rosenthal on April 7 that Keuchel was open to a one-year deal worth more than the $17.9 million qualifying offer he rejected from the Astros or a longer-term deal at a lower average annual value.

The Mets (10-8, second place in the NL East, 1.5 games back of first place Phillies) are off on Thursday. They begin a three-game series against the Cardinals on Friday in St. Louis. 

Here's what went down on Wednesday in case you missed it...

In the Mets' 3-2 loss to the Phillies, a late comeback fell short as New York lost its second straight and dropped the series to Philadelphia >> Read more

Zack Wheeler took the mound Wednesday afternoon in Philadelphia looking another solid start like his last one against the Braves. Overall, it was a good start by the hard-throwing righty, but a couple costly mistakes linger on his mind.

Wheeler had been cruising, as he allowed just one run in the second inning. But that changed when Scott Kingery launched an opposite field solo homer to push the Phillies lead to two. Then, just one inning later, Cesar Hernandez did the exact same as his teammate, taking a Wheeler pitch over the right field fence. 

That last solo homer was ultimately the winning run for the Phillies, who took the three-game series with the victory. Wheeler may have been satisfied with his overall performance, but not with those two pitches he made.

Jeff McNeil entered Wednesday hitting .418 (23-for-55) with five doubles, one triple, 10 RBI and a .484 on-base percentage, which was second-best in the National League and fourth-best in all of baseball. He notched two more hits on Wednesday, raising his triiple slash to .424/.485/.542.

"He's still still mostly under people's radars," a former MLB scout, now advisor to an NL team, told me earlier Wednesday. "Based on what he did last year, if he keeps this up, he won't be a secret for long."

In McNeil, I see a 27-year-old, old-school hitter with a unique story and unique bat that is destined to win multiple batting titles, the first of which could realistically happen this season.

Mets RHP Jacob deGrom won't be making his scheduled start on Friday, as he is suffering from strep throat, according to manager Mickey Callaway.

In turn, the Mets will move Jason Vargas up one day and give him the ball to start the series with the Cardinals. And if deGrom isn't feeling healthy enough for the game on Saturday, the Mets could move up Steven Matz and have him pitch off short rest, per The Post's Mike Puma. Matz didn't even finish one inning in his start on Tuesday. 

DeGrom's last two starts haven't seen his normal dominance on the bump. After throwing a six-run dud to the Twins back on April 9, deGrom allowed three runs on five hits (two homers) over five innings of work.

But deGrom must worry about his health before focusing on reversing the outcome of his last two outings. 

It was a thriller in Philadelphia this afternoon, but the Mets came out on the losing end, 3-2, as the Phillies took the series. >> Box score

Six things to know about Wednesday's game...

1) Zack Wheeler started off the day cruising out in Philadelphia, but the long ball got to him later in the game. Holding on to a 1-0 deficit, Scott Kingery launched an opposite field homer in the fifth inning for his second of the series to make it 2-0. Then, one inning later, Cesar Hernandez took Wheeler deep as well to push the lead to three. Overall, Wheeler finished the day allowing three earned on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks as well. 

It appears the Mets may look to the trade market to try to bolster their starting rotation.

They're showing strong interest in Rangers lefty Mike Minor, according to USA Today. But they aren't alone as the Phillies are also interested in the veteran, according to the report.

Minor threw a shutout against the Angels on Tuesday, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven. He's allowed just two runs in 23 innings over his last three starts.

Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is still dealing with soreness in his neck, he told reporters before Wednesday's game, and has taken a muscle relaxer to help.

Manager Mickey Callaway said he isn't too worried at this point about Nimmo -- who is sitting on Wednesday and will get an extra day of rest with the Mets off on Thursday. And Nimmo doesn't think the neck issue will lead to a stint on the injured list.

When the Mets took Steven Matz out of the game in the first inning on Tuesday night, Nimmo left with him -- walking to the dugout with Mets head trainer Brian Chicklo.

The Mets (10-7, second place in NL East) face the Phillies (10-6, first place in NL East) on Wednesday in Philadelphia at 1:05 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

In the rubber game of this three-game set, the Mets will try to win their first series since April 1-3, when they swept the Marlins. Since then, they lost a series to the Nationals and split series with the Twins and Braves. ... Jeff McNeil takes the leadoff spot with Brandon Nimmo sitting because of a stiff neck. Keon Broxton draws the start in center. ... Travis d'Arnaud is behind the plate for the matinee after Wilson Ramos caught Tuesday night. ... The Mets' eight road wins are tied with Seattle for most in the majors.

Jed Lowrie, who has been out with a capsule sprain in his left knee since the start of Spring Training, is heading down to Port St. Lucie to go through the next step in his rehab process, Mickey Callaway said Wednesday.

Lowrie will take live batting practice on Friday and Saturday, according to Callaway. There's no schedule yet regarding when Lowrie will be able to go on a rehab assignment since he essentially didn't have a Spring Training.

Drew Gagnon, who was on short rest, came in to Tuesday night's game after Steven Matz failed to get an out. Gagnon allowed five runs, but saved the Mets' bullpen by eating up 5.1 innings. His reward? A demotion to Triple-A Syracuse.

The demotion isn't an indictment on Gagnon, though. It's a move being made out of necessity in order for the Mets to add a fresh arm to the bullpen. And that fresh arm is Jacob Rhame.

Rhame, 26, has struggled so far this season for Syracuse, posting a 9.53 ERA and 1.58 WHIP while walking five and striking out seven in 5.2 innings (six appearances).

The Mets (10-7, second place in the NL East, 0.5 game back of first place Phillies) face the Phillies in Philadelphia on Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. on SNY. 

Here's what went down on Tuesday in case you missed it...

In the Mets' ugly 14-3 loss to the Phillies, Steven Matz couldn't record an out and the team made four errors >> Read more

Steven Matz just did not have it Tuesday night. 

The Mets southpaw was roughed up for eight runs in the first inning and was taken out of the game before recording an out in a 14-3 loss to the Phillies. 

Amed Rosario committed two errors behind Matz, which included allowing leadoff batter Andrew McCutchen on base to jump-start the inning. 

Absolutely nothing went right for the Mets on Tuesday. Steven Matz was roughed up for eight runs before he could even record an out as the Mets fell to the Phillies in a 14-3 loss on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. >> Box score

Six things to know about Tuesday's game

1) Matz had nothing going for him, allowing eight runs, six earned, on four hits, a walk and hit batsman, including two home runs without getting a single out before he was pulled from the game. The Phillies tacked on two more against Drew Gagnon in relief before the inning finally ended with the Mets in a 10-0 hole. 

In a disastrous first inning for the Mets at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night, Brandon Nimmo left the game with a stiff neck, the team announced. Juan Lagares replaced Nimmo in center field.

As Steven Matz was finally relieved after an awful start, Nimmo also made his way to the dugout with Mets head trainer Brian Chicklo.

Nimmo said after the game that he had been battling soreness all day leading up to the game. 

The Mets were put in a giant hole early on against the Phillies on Wednesday, but that didn't stop the bats from trying to cut into the deficit. 

Michael Conforto was one of those players, as he launched an opposite field solo shot in the top of the third. It was his fourth homer of the season. 

An inning before Conforto went deep, Wilson Ramos got the Mets on the board with a solo homer himself. It was his first home run as a Met, and only his second extra-base hit of the year...

The Mets brought back Jeurys Familia to be a key cog in their bullpen, but the right-handed reliever has not quite lived up to his end of the deal early in the season. 

Familia struggled again on Monday night, allowing four baserunners to reach on three walks and a single in 2/3 of an inning, and allowing the Phillies to tie the game at 6. 

Yet Mets manager Mickey Callaway remains optimistic about his setup man, who has allowed six runs in 8.1 innings this season and nine walks.

The Mets (10-6, first place in NL East) face the Phillies (9-6, second place in NL East) open up a three-game set Monday at 7:05 p.m.

Mets Notes

The Mets picked up a big extra-inning win last night in Philadelphia. They have now won four of their last six games. ...The Mets have 10 or more hits in each of their last four games. ...Edwin Diaz collected his sixth save of the season, which ranks fourth in the MLB and second in the National League. ...Michael Conforto has gone deep in three of his last six games. ...Pete Alonso has reached base safely in eight straight starts.