CINCINNATI — Kodai Senga’s Rough Return
Kodai Senga faced a challenging comeback on the mound for the Mets, needing what many would call a redo—though baseball doesn’t allow for second chances. His outing started poorly, and even though he showed some improvement in the following innings, it was too little, too late.
Ultimately, a combination of Senga’s struggles and the team’s lackluster offense resulted in a 5-3 loss to the Reds. This defeat marked the Mets’ second consecutive loss, and now they find themselves hoping to avoid being swept in the series.
After Christian Scott was placed on the disabled list due to a hip issue, Senga stepped into the rotation. Unfortunately, he surrendered two home runs along with four runs in the first inning alone. His final stat line included four runs on two hits, four walks, and five strikeouts over four innings.
“It’s been a while since I’ve pitched in the majors, and I just couldn’t put it together during that big inning,” Senga said through an interpreter.
His performance mirrored the struggles the Mets had often witnessed when he returned from a six-week stint on the disabled list due to a back injury.
Senga, poised to stay in the rotation, expressed optimism: “If I prepare adequately during the upcoming tour, I believe I’ll be able to showcase my strength.”
The Mets’ manager, Carlos Mendoza, was ejected in the seventh inning after a heated exchange with the home plate umpire regarding the strike zone. By the end of the second inning in both games, they found themselves trailing, thus ending the ABS Challenge.
Senga walked Blake Dunn and JJ Brady, allowing Sal Stewart to hit a three-run homer over the left field fence. He managed to secure two outs in the first inning, with AJ Ewing making a diving catch to rob Nathaniel Rowe of a hit, only to watch Spencer Steer follow up with a home run that put the Mets in a hole.
“It’s not what you want to see from those first three batters,” Mendoza remarked. “A few walks, and then a three-run homer… We’ve seen flashes of Senga’s potential, but they got to him early.”
Bo Bichette’s RBI single in the third inning reduced the gap to 4-1. After Brett Batty was hit by a pitch, Francisco Alvarez notched an RBI single. Bichette, who started the day with a sparkling batting average, contributed another run. However, with the bases loaded, Jared Young’s out snuffed out their rally.
With two outs in the fourth inning, the Mets had the bases loaded against Brady Singer, but couldn’t capitalize, getting shut down after Ewing and Alvarez walked.
Bichette led off the fifth with a single, but a strikeout from Soto and a double play ended that chance. Just the night before, they had loaded the bases again in the third, but couldn’t push any runs across.
“This could be a huge setback for us in the long run. It’s frustrating,” Mendoza acknowledged. “When you continually put players on base, someone has to come through eventually.”
Stewart added another RBI in the fifth inning, increasing the Reds’ lead to 5-1. Following a leadoff double from Edwin Arroyo and Dunn’s hit, Stewart’s success came through.
Mark Vientos, pinching in the sixth, hit a two-run homer that closed the gap to 5-3 after Marcus Semien reached base on an error. Their best chance to tie came in the eighth, but Vientos and Alvarez struck out before Benge was eliminated.
Even after winning a pair of games against the strong Braves at home, the Mets lost steam again.
“Quality pitching can be crucial for a team throughout the year,” Mendoza remarked. “They need to keep giving us opportunities, and we expect more from them. They know what we need.”
