Quotes on Noah Syndergaard Debut

Noah Syndergaard’s much-anticipated debut has come and gone. He was able to hold the Cubs scoreless through five innings Tuesday, but then he allowed three runs in the sixth and suffered the loss. It may not have been a fairytale debut, but it was not terrible. Lots of people walked away impressed. Here are some quotes following the game:

Noah Syndergaard:

“I’m not going to lie. I was really nervous up until I walked the steps of the dugout and started warming up. But from the first pitch on, I felt really good out there. I felt ready to go. My arm felt great. It’s always nice to get the first strikeout out of the way the first batter of the game. After that point there, that’s when the nerves started to go away.”

Terry Collins:

“I was very impressed. I thought he threw the ball well. Obviously, he’s got good stuff and I was certainly impressed with how he threw it… He came up here bound and determined to show everybody he belongs here. And I think he did that.”

Opposing pitcher Jake Arietta:

“He was electric. We kind of knew what we were up against and he came out strong… He’s extremely polished for his age. He’s just a special talent and it’s fun to watch him play every day. I look forward to watching him grow.”

Cubs rookie Kris Bryant:

“He did a really good job, I thought.” I thought he did a lot better than my debut. I know him. He’s a great guy. I’m happy for him.”

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo

“He battled. He put them in a couple of tough spots and made pitches and got out of it. You could see the life there on his fastball. His off-speed, I don’t think he was throwing it for as [many] strikes as he would’ve liked, but you see the stuff there.”

Syndergaard:

“The confidence that I can take away from this game is that I can pitch at this level and have some success.”