Senga Shuts Out St. Louis To Keep Sensational Start Going

 

Kodai Senga fires one in to Brendan Donovan in the first inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

Kodai Senga entered this season as the Mets' ace, and his latest outing on Saturday, a 3-0 shutout win over the St. Louis Cardinals, affirmed that once again.

This was the third outing in a row that Senga has kept his opponent off the board, and even more noteworthy, since it is April 19, this was just his fourth start of the season. 

In Senga's season debut, on April 1 in Miami, Senga allowed two earned runs (four overall) on three hits and a walk, with eight strikeouts, in five innings in a 4-2 loss to the Marlins.

When the Marlins came to New York six days later, Senga threw five shutout innings, scattering just five hits and two walks, with four K's, in a 2-0 Mets win.

Then, last Sunday in Sacramento, Senga took it up a notch and threw seven shutout innings in the longest outing for a Mets starter, as he allowed just four hits and two walks, with four strikeouts.

Senga picked up where he left off in this one, as he retired the Cardinals in order in the first inning.

In the second, he walked Alec Burleson and then allowed a double to Thomas Saggese along the right field line, giving St. Louis two runners on with one out.

Senga stepped up to strike out Nolan Gorman and got Yohel Pozo to line out to Jose Azocar in center field to get out of trouble.

Those two outs started a run in which Senga retired out in a row, through the top of the fourth.

By that point, the Mets had the lead, as they rallied in the bottom of the third. 

Luisangel Acuna led off with a double, and then after Matthew Liberatore got the next two outs, Juan Soto drove him in with a liner to center field.

Then, the red-hot Pete Alonso crushed a double to center field that brought Soto in and instantly made it 2-0 Mets.

Juan Soto after he ran through the plate to score on Pete Alonso's double. Photo by Jason Schott.

Senga, as implied above, retired St. Louis in order in the top of the fourth, and Saggese led off the fifth with another double to right field. 

Saggese then took third on a wild pitch, but Senga then struck out Gorman. Pozo then grounded one to Brett Baty - who came in to play third base after Mark Vientos exited with a groin injury - and he fired a strike to the plate to nab Saggese for the second out. Victor Scott II flew out to left field to end the frame.

Senga returned for the sixth, and he walked Lars Nootbaar before he allowed a single to Willson Contreras. Once again, he got what he needed, as Brendan Donovan grounded into a double play.

However, Senga then threw one up and in to Nolan Arenado, hitting him in the wrist, and that would be the end of his afternoon.

Reed Garrett came on for Burleson, and he got him to ground out to second to end the threat.

Garrett would stay on and pitch a perfect seventh before A.J. Minter worked around three walks in the eighth by getting Burleson to ground out to shortstop to keep St. Louis off the board.

Alonso gave the Mets a bit of breathing room in the bottom half of the eighth when he crushed a solo home run to left field to make it 3-0. That was his sixth homer of the season, and gives him 23 RBI in the Mets' 21st game.

Senga earned the win, as he went 5 2/3 innings, as he allowed no runs on three hits and two walks, with four strikeouts. He would lower his ERA (earned run average) to 0.79 as he improved to 3-1 on the season.