Ejected Syndergaard: Utley pitch ‘just got away’

12:52 AM ET

NEW YORK — Noah Syndergaard denied purposely whizzing a 99 mph fastball behind Chase Utley as payback for the second baseman’s slide during the 2015 National League Division Series.

Regardless of his true intent, Syndergaard was ejected in the third inning. And Utley proceeded to further cement his place as a villain to Mets fans, producing two homers and five RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat New York 9-1 on Saturday night at Citi Field.

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“It was a very quick trigger,” Syndergaard said of the ejection, also maintaining that the pitch had no purpose. “I was just kind of dumbfounded. I’ve never been thrown out of a game before, so it was just kind of a whirlwind of emotions. It kind of rattled me a little bit, the reason I got thrown out. I was kind of at a loss for words.”

Asked if he thought the pitch was intentional, Utley said, “Possibly, but I understand it.”

Utley added that he was fine with a purpose pitch as long as it didn’t injure anyone.

Utley became a villain among Mets fans following his slide in Game 2 of the NLDS last October at Dodger Stadium that fractured the right leg of then-New York shortstop Ruben Tejada. That prompted Major League Baseball and the Players Association to change the rule regarding …

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