New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard is stuck in a tough stretch. In his last five starts coming into Monday’s game, the 25-year-old had an uncharacteristic 4.50 ERA.

That figure went up after a 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Syndergaard gave up four runs on nine hits over six innings during the contest. He avoided the loss after the Mets tied things up in the seventh.

Noah Syndergaard says he’s wasting his ability

Following the game, Syndergaard told reporters he feels like he’s been wasting his ability recently.

Noah Syndergaard, harsh self-critic: "I just feel like every five days right now I'm just kind of wasting my ability to throw a baseball. My stuff's too good to go out there and go six innings and give up four runs with nine basehits. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense." — Tim Britton (@TimBritton) August 28, 2018





It was the third time in his last six starts that Syndergaard has given up four runs.

Noah Syndergaard hard on himself after Mets loss

While giving up four runs over six innings isn’t a great start, it’s not disastrous either. Syndergaard had a tough time in the fifth inning, allowing a run on a wild pitch and then giving up a two-run single to Cubs pitcher Jon Lester. He also battled his control throughout the start, walking three Cubs.

Even after that, Syndergaard left the game with the Mets trailing by one run. He didn’t have his best game, but he wasn’t the sole reason the Mets lost.

Noah Syndergaard still has strong numbers on the season

With the start, Syndergaard now has a 3.51 ERA in 2018. That’s a career-high for him, but it’s still better than the league average. While his strikeout rate is down, Syndergaard is still whiffing more than a batter per inning on the season. His walk rate is among the lowest in baseball.

That those numbers are disappointing to Syndergaard tells you just how good he’s been to start his career. Some 10-year veterans would kill to pitch like a “struggling” Noah Syndergaard.

Noah Syndergaard is not happy with how he’s performed in recent starts. (AP Photo) More

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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