Kodai Senga excels for the Mets in an uncommon start on regular rest

SAN FRANCISCO — Kodai Chiga’s Day on the Mound

Even though Sunday was usually his day off, Kodai Chiga seemed far from worn out.

The Mets’ right-handed pitcher put forth a strong performance, helping his team secure a 5-2 win against the Giants at Oracle Park.

This marked the fifth occasion in Chiga’s career where he pitched on the fifth day of the starting rotation, which is kind of unusual for him since he typically has at least a sixth day to recuperate.

Through an interpreter, Chiga stated, “Regardless of the pitch schedule, whether it’s regular rest or a bit longer, as long as you know it ahead of time and adjust accordingly, it’s fine.”

Assuming everything goes well with the Mets’ rotation, he’s set to pitch again on Saturday against the Athletics at Citi Field. Interestingly, he and his fellow rotation members have a day off on Monday, which should give them some extra recovery time.

During the game, Chiga pitched 5⅓ innings, conceding 2 earned runs from 5 hits, alongside 7 strikeouts and 2 walks. Two soft singles in the sixth accounted for the runs he allowed, and Matt Chapman’s significant double was the other hit that inning.

This performance echoed his season debut against the Cardinals on Tuesday, in which he also allowed two earned runs, but with only four hits and nine strikeouts over six innings.

Manager Carlos Mendoza remarked on Chiga’s performance, noting, “[On Sunday], he only allowed two hard-hit balls. Apart from that, he really dominated the lineup. His fastball and cutter were impressive, and his forkball was effective in getting strikes when necessary. Overall, I think he was outstanding.”

This game continues a tumultuous period for Chiga; his previous season ended in chaos, leading to a move to the minor leagues. He spent September pitching at Triple-A Syracuse to fine-tune his mechanics.

Reflecting on the game, Chiga mentioned, “The biggest thing is I was able to pitch well today and exit the game positively.”

Defensively, he was also supported by Jared Young, who made a pivotal play by deflecting Gerard Encarnacion’s shot off the left-field fence in the fifth inning, successfully throwing Encarnacion out at second base.