Syndergaard shuts down Phillies; Mets sweep series

• Syndergaard tossed 7 1/3 shutout innings with six strikeouts and no walks%2C also hitting 100 mph with his fastball.
• The Phillies have lost seven consecutive series to the Mets%2C which is the longest series losing streak to New York in franchise history.

NEW YORK – Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard carried the experience of just three big league starts with him to the mound Wednesday against the Phillies at Citi Field.

It represented the first time the Phillies had a chance to see the hard throwing 6-foot-6 Syndergaard in person, and he impressed, showing few weaknesses.

By the time the game ended – a 7-0 loss to complete the sweep for the Mets – the Phillies were given a reminder of what they will be going up against in the coming years whenever they face their division rival: darn good starting pitchers.

"They have seven guys, top notch starters when they're all healthy," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "But yeah, they throw arms at you from the starting rotation side, no doubt about it."

Syndergaard tossed 7 1/3 shutout innings with six strikeouts and no walks, also hitting 100 mph with his fastball. The Phillies (19-30) managed only six hits.

In the three-game series, the Phillies scored five runs off the Mets' starters – Bartolo Colon, Jacob deGrom and Syndergaard – in their 20 2/3 innings of work. Even the Phillies' good fortune of avoiding ace Matt Harvey didn't work out in their favor.

The Phillies were swept in consecutive series in New York for the first time since Sept. 15-17, 1995 (0-3) and July 15-17, 1996 (0-3).

They were able to put a runner in scoring position only once against Syndergaard (2-2), hitting back-to-back singles to open the seventh. But Syndergaard forced Odubel Herrera to hit into a double play and struck out Cameron Rupp looking to end the inning.

"Some of the hitters said it looked like he was right on top of them because of his size," Sandberg said. "He really maintained his fastball and stuff all the way through the outing. First time seeing him, he was tough to get a hold of. Really mixed his secondary pitches with two strikes also."

The Phillies better get used to going up against tough pitching versus the Mets (27-21) the next few years, with Syndergaard (22 years old), deGrom (26) and Harvey (26) in the rotation. That doesn't even include 24-year-old Zack Wheeler, who is out for the season because of Tommy John surgery.

"It's a challenge every day," Rupp said. "You have to come out and be ready for it."

The Phillies have lost seven consecutive series to the Mets, which is the longest series losing streak to New York in franchise history. They've also lost five straight games and 19 of their last 24 against the Mets. A division rivalry that has already been lopsided lately is threatening to turn into laughingstock with the Phillies on the wrong side.

Right-hander Sean O'Sullivan (1-4) didn't help the Phillies finish their 10-game road trip on a high point. In 5 2/3 innings, O'Sullivan surrendered seven runs and 11 hits, including four home runs, one of which featured Syndergaard's first MLB homer.

The Mets' three-run third inning gave them a 4-0 lead, and they tacked on a run in each of the next three innings. O'Sullivan said all of his pitches felt real flat from the start.

"It was one of those days where I knew I was going to have to grind out at-bats," O'Sullivan said. "Our bullpen has been taxed lately, so I kind of had to bite the bullet there, but I tried to compete as long as I could, give as many innings as I could to save some arms down there. Just happened to be a day where my stuff wasn't very good."

The Phillies went into the road trip on a five-game winning streak before splitting a four-game series in Colorado. But against the National League's best teams – the Nationals and Mets – the Phillies went 1-5 to stumble back home needing to get on track. For all the momentum they had built, their NL East foes served as a reality check for the Phillies.

Contact Meghan Montemurro at mmontemurro@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @M_Montemurro.