Lincecawesome - MLB | NBC Sports

Yeah, I suppose that’s corny, but there’s really no other word to
describe him. He completely dominated the Cardinals last night, staying
perfect until the fifth inning and remaining near perfect for the rest
of the game. Other than a double to Pujols — who tends to get his no
matter who’s pitching — no one could do a thing against the guy. The
Cardinals didn’t even make him work, as he threw 95 pitches in a
complete game.

Not that this was anything new. Over his last four starts he’s 3-1
(three complete games) with a 1.03 ERA and a K/BB ratio of 37-3. Dude
won the Cy Young last year. Though 16 starts in 2008 he was 8-1 with a
2.54 ERA and K/BB ratio of 103-40. Through 16 starts this year he’s 8-2
with a 2.37 ERA and a K/BB ratio of 132-28. Anyone doubt that he’s
going to win the Cy Young again?

With nasty stuff like that Lincecum could be excused for being a bit cocky. Not that he’s the least bit cocky. Here he is after yesterday’s game:

When I saw the lineup card today, I thought they’re throwing some
pretty good guys out there. But then I thought, ‘I’m good. I’m here for
a reason. I can get these guys out if I make my pitches the way I need
to’ . . . This game can be humbling. The second you go out there
thinking that you’re hot s-, then they hit four home runs off you.
That’s the last thing I want to do. I’m not getting ahead of myself.
I’m not thinking I’m going to shut anybody down because of what I did.
It’s what I’m doing now.

And what he’s doing is shutting everybody down.

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”