CHICAGO — Lesson 1 for new Mets starting pitchers: You’re on your own.
In his major-league debut Tuesday night, Noah Syndergaard received a crash course on the fact this Mets lineup isn’t going to provide you much room for error.
Syndergaard was solid into the sixth inning before allowing three runs, on a night the Mets lost their second straight, 6-1 to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The Mets’ top pitching prospect threw 103 pitches over 5 ¹/₃ innings in which he surrendered three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
“It’s the same game,” said Syndergaard, who replaced injured Dillon Gee in the rotation. “You don’t really believe that until you get out there and I got out there and make my debut at Wrigley Field, I just look around and it feels like another ballgame. It was a lot of fun.”
Chris Coghlan dropped the hammer on “Thor” with a two-run homer in the sixth that extended the Cubs’ lead to 3-0. Syndergaard remained in the game to face one more batter, striking out Jake Arrieta, before manager Terry Collins came to the mound for the pitching change.
Syndergaard wasn’t helped by Daniel Murphy’s looping throw to first base in the third inning that allowed Kris Bryant to beat out an infield single. Instead of having the third out, Syndergaard needed an additional 18 pitches to escape the inning, after walking two batters.
“I didn’t make the play and it cost Noah some pitches,” Murphy said. “He could have worked deeper into the game. I was pretty frustrated.”
Bryant’s solo homer in the eighth against Hansel Robles punctuated the night for the Cubs, who also scored a run apiece against Alex Torres and Sean Gilmartin.
The Mets (20-13) will turn to ace Matt Harvey on Wednesday in attempt to end the losing skid. But Collins’ crew needs offense: The Mets have scored three runs or fewer in seven of their last nine games.
“We just won two of three in Philly — I wouldn’t call it a ‘skid,’ ” Collins said. “I’d say we lost two in a row, but Matt’s got to step up and give us a good game.”
Syndergaard, who was 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Las Vegas this season, received the pep talk he needed before the game from veteran Michael Cuddyer, who told the rookie to take mental pictures of his surroundings and savor the night.
“Look around and appreciate the moment, because you only get one major-league debut,” Cuddyer said. “I thought he pitched unbelievably well.”
Syndergaard peaked at 99 mph on a fastball to Bryant in the first inning and was generally in the 96-98 mph range with his heat. But he also displayed confidence in his secondary pitches.
“He came up here bound and determined to show everybody he belongs here and I think he did that,” Collins said.
It took until Syndergaard’s 91st pitch of the night for the Cubs to score against him: Starlin Castro ripped a RBI double into the left-field corner in the sixth to put the Mets in a 1-0 hole. Coghlan’s two-run blast followed.
Syndergaard had escaped a jam in the fifth, striking out Miguel Montero after Bryant launched a two-out triple to right field and Anthony Rizzo walked.
“Something I will have to continue to work on is I felt uncomfortable with runners on base,” Syndergaard said. “But I was real comfortable in my windup.”
The Mets were barely audible against Arrieta, who allowed one run on three hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts over eight innings.
Curtis Granderson made a poor base-running decision in the fourth, attempting to go first-to-third on Murphy’s single to left with nobody out. Coghlan’s throw easily nailed Granderson, thwarting a potential rally.