There was no better sign for the Mets than the obvious return of the ace in the first 21 games of the season.
Kodai Senga hasn’t hit the batters at the speeds he saw two years ago, but getting a good swing against him is still a challenge.
Saturday was a prime example, and as calculated by Statcast, the Cardinals proceeded without a hard hit ball against the right-handed.
Senga went on to make his third straight start without allowing him to run, and the Mets won 3-0 at Citifield.
The Mets will attempt a sweep of the four-game series on Sunday.
The victory came at the casualties for the Mets as Mark Vientos finished the game with a discomfort in the gro caliber before the start of the fifth inning.
Overall, Senga’s scoreless streak was 18²/₃ innings, allowing 12 hits and 12 hits.
Last season, Senga started only one regular season Mets game due to various illnesses, but regained the form he displayed in his strong rookie campaign in 2023.
On this day he continued with 5²/₃ innings, allowing three hits on four strikeouts and two walks.
Senga peaked at 97.4 miles with a four-seam fastball, earning seven swings and mistakes on “Ghost Fork.”
The 89-pitch Senga was removed with two outs in the sixth after excavating Nolan Arenado and handing the Cardinals Runner to the corner.
Russanger Acuña’s third lead set the fire in a two-run rally that gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.
After the sizzling Acuña extended the hit streak to seven games, Juan Soto delivered an RBI single.
The double that Pete Alonso followed led to his second run with left-handed Matthew Riveratore.
Senga escaped the threat in the second, hit Nolan Gorman, and retired Joher Pozo in the third, and the runners were stuck in the second and third.
Fifth, Brett Baty, who took part in the match at Vientos’ 3 base at the beginning of the innings, nailed Thomas Suggese, who was trying to score from third place on the Pozo grounder.
The second double in the game of Suggese and Senga’s wild pitch gave the Cardinals a runner on 3 bases.
Senga led Lars Nordvar from 6th, surrendering the single to Wilson Contreras before hitting a double play with Brendan Donovan started by Accunya.
However, if he had the chance to complete the innings, Senga attacked Arenado and urged manager Carlos Mendoza to summon Reed Garrett to score the final.
After Garrett finished 7th in scoreless position, AJ Minter walked the base loaded for the eighth time.
The left-hander ran away after Lindor ran behind 2 bases and then hit the grounder where Lindor ran before dropping the throw to one base.
Alonso started a home run from the left field in the ninth for the Mets’ final run.
It was Alonso’s sixth explosion this season that reached the second deck on the left (an estimated 443 feet of travel).
Edwin Diaz got his final three outs on his fifth save.
