Angels’ pitcher Noah Syndergaard hit hard in return to New York, Yankees win series opener

Noah Syndergaard’s return to New York Tuesday night did not go well. The Los Angeles Angels pitcher was shelled in just 2.1 innings of work. 

Syndergaard, who signed a one-year, $21 million deal with the Angels after two injury-plagued seasons with the New York Mets, gave up five earned runs, including four in the first inning of a 9-1 Yankees win. 

Yankees designated hitter Matt Carpenter put New York up 4-0 in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run to right field, quickly ending any hope Syndergaard had of earning a quality start. 

“Something wasn’t adding up,” Syndergaard said Tuesday night. “I just kind of noticed how tense my upper body was, and it’s kind of hard to deliver a quality pitch when you’re really tight out there.”

DEREK JETER JOINS SOCIAL MEDIA, ASKS FANS TO TAKE IT EASY ON HIM: ‘I’M NEW TO THIS’

Syndergaard missed the entire 2020 season with the Mets after undergoing Tommy John surgery and threw just two innings during the 2021 season. In his first year in Los Angeles, Syndergaard is 4-3 with a 4.02 ERA, striking out 27 batters in 40.1 innings of work. 

Tuesday’s loss was the sixth in a row for the Angels, who jumped out to a 27-17 start before their current losing streak. 

“Fortunately, we got off to a wonderful start so that you can kind of absorb a moment like this,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said after the game. “When you get off to a really bad start, moments like this could be devastating.”

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge robbed reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani in the first-inning, leaping for a grab at the center field wall. 

“That was a complete momentum swing,’’ Carpenter said, according to the New York Post. “It changes the game.”

REDS’ TOMMY PHAM SUSPENDED 3 GAMES FOR SLAPPING JOC PEDERSON, SAYS IT WAS MORE THAN JUST FANTASY FOOTBALL

With the win, the Yankees moved to 19 games over .500, 5 ½ games up on the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. 

New York and Los Angeles will continue their three-game series Wednesday with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.