Mickey Callaway's decision to lift Noah Syndergaard backfires in 9-3 loss to Giants

NEW YORK – Mickey Callaway wants a mulligan.

Needing one more out to escape the seventh inning with a lead against the Giants Tuesday night, it all went awry for the manager.

He opted to pull Noah Syndergaard after 103 pitches, instead turning to his second-most reliable reliever, Seth Lugo, with a man on first and two outs.

The Giants tied the game two batters later, and went on to bludgeon Robert Gsellman for five runs in the 10th in a 9-3 victory over the Mets.

Callaway ultimately apologized to his team after the game.

“That’s one I’d like to have back,” Callaway said.

Callaway’s expertise is pitching, yet there are far too many times when he doesn’t appear to have a good feel for when to make a pitching change.

The Mets (28-32) had just rallied for three runs against Madison Bumgarner in the sixth inning via homers by Pete Alonso and Wilson Ramos, grabbing a 3-2 lead.

Syndergaard allowed a leadoff single in the seventh – the first hit he’d allowed since yielding two runs in the fourth inning –before getting the next two outs.

The Giants had struggling righty Evan Longoria, 0 for 2 against Syndergaard on the night and 3 for 12 in his career, due up.

As Lugo warmed up in the bullpen, Callaway discussed the decision with his coaches.

They were spooked by the possibility of a stolen base, noting how Lugo could hold the runner better. They felt the pitcher-batter matchup was about even for both hurlers with Lugo having a little advantage since Longoria hits low balls.

Callaway then emerged from the dugout and made a double switch. The Mets had a 76.1 percent chance to win at that point, per ESPN's calculations.

“Because Noah threw a hell of a game, he probably deserved, with a runner on first, probably a little more benefit of the doubt,” Callaway said. “If he steals second then allow Noah to make some big pitches with the guy in scoring position.”

Callaway pulled Syndergaard before visiting him on the mound, and Syndergaard appeared to tell his manager to let him finish the inning. It was a moot point.

“I was a bit surprised, but in that moment, heat of competition and just the will to go out there and complete the inning, I got a little fired up and frustrated,” Syndergaard said. “That subsided, and was kind of a stinger of a game.”

Lugo, who only returned Friday after being sidelined with shoulder tendinitis, allowed a single to Longoria and a game-tying RBI double to Brandon Belt.

Syndergaard was charged with three runs on five hits in 6.2 innings.

The righty appreciated that Callaway apologized to the team after the game.

“We’re all humans, all eligible to make mistakes. The most important part is to learn from it, and move on,” Syndergaard said. “If anything, a man that is knowledgeable about the mistakes he makes is something that sparks more respect in our eyes.

"Commend him for that.”

Tuesday marked the second time in three games that Callaway angered one of his pitchers with the manager pulling Jacob deGrom from Saturday’s 6-5 loss to the Diamondbacks due to concern over a hip cramp. DeGrom was not pleased.

Both those decisions were compounded by a bullpen that failed to do its job.

Gsellman, pitching for the 11th time in 20 days, recorded just one out in the 10th, allowing the Giants to take the lead on a two-run double by Stephen Vogt.

The game may not have gone 10 innings had Callaway just allowed Syndergaard to face Longoria, a decision that he’ll regret for some time.

“I would’ve liked to stay in the ball game,” Syndergaard said. “Can’t do anything about it now."