New York’s sports headlines on Saturday may have focused on the Knicks and their playoff-opening win over the Pistons. But the Mets and pitcher Kodai Senga certainly deserved some attention for their performance.
Senga, 31, threw his third consecutive start without allowing a run in the Mets’ 3-0 win over the Cardinals at Citi Field. He allowed three hits over 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks, boosting his record to 3-1 and lowering his ERA to 0.79 for the season.
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With Saturday’s outing, Senga extended his scoreless streak to 18 2/3 innings. Since allowing two earned runs in his first start of the season versus the Marlins, he’s kept zeroes on the scoreboard while facing Miami again, the Athletics and St. Louis.
“That’s what people saw here in 2023,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, via SNY. “A guy that’s going to take the baseball and he’s going to give you a chance every night — it doesn’t matter who we’re facing. If they’ve got an ace, we feel good about our chances when he takes the ball.”
Senga only started one game in 2024 after hurting his right shoulder during spring training, then developed triceps discomfort and nerve inflammation as he adjusted his mechanics because of the injury. He returned to make three appearances during the postseason.
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The Mets hope there’s more to come from Senga, who signed a five-year, $75 million contract before the 2023 season and made the All-Star team that year.
However, Senga didn’t cruise unchallenged against the Cardinals. In the sixth inning, St. Louis threatened to score on a leadoff double by Thomas Saggese. He advanced to third base on a wild pitch from Senga and went for home on a grounder to third from Yohel Pozo. But Mets third baseman Brett Baty threw Pozo out at the plate.
Baty was at third to replace Mark Vientos, who left the game with groin discomfort. Following the game, Vientos attributed the issue to dehydration but the Mets will reevaluate him on Sunday, when he’s not expected to be in the lineup.
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Senga encountered trouble one more time in the sixth after walking Lars Nootbaar and giving up a double to Willson Contreras. But he erased the threat by getting Brendan Donovan to ground into a double play. Senga was taken out of the game after hitting Nolan Arenado with a pitch. Reed Garrett came on in relief and got a groundout to second base from Alec Burleson.
In his view, Senga has been lucky and helped by the defense behind him.
“I don’t really feel like my pitches are getting them out,” Senga said afterward through an interpreter, via MLB.com. “They’re making contact, and my fielders are doing a great job behind me.”
“I don’t think I’m quite there yet,” he added. “The pitches that are actually coming out of my hand and what I’m imagining them to look like, there’s still a little bit of a difference.”
Pete Alonso added an insurance run for the Mets in the eighth inning with his sixth home run of the season off Cardinals reliever John King. Alonso had two RBI for the day, also driving in a run with a third-inning double that gave New York a 2-0 lead.
With the win, the Mets maintained their one-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East. Clay Holmes (2-1, 3.66 ERA) gets the start for New York on Sunday as they go for the series sweep. Sonny Gray (3-0, 3.13) starts for the Cardinals.
