Mets inch by on solid work by Kodai Senga, strong bullpen to break losing streak

Kodai Senga threw four shutout innings, Brandon Nimmo homered, and the bullpen did the rest to get the Mets back over .500

Michael Baron

May 6, 2023

What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️

The Mets ended their losing streak, edging the Rockies 1-0 at Citi Field on Friday (Box)
Friday’s win marked the third shutout win for the Mets this season and their second win of the season when scoring three runs or less
Kodai Senga hurled six shutout innings while allowing only two hits with four walks and four strikeouts
Drew Smith, David Robertson, and Adam Ottavino combined for three innings of scoreless relief
Brandon Nimmo made up for his poor afternoon on Thursday by being the sole provider of offense - he hit a solo homer in the third inning as part of a 2-for-3 night at the plate
The Mets did really struggle at the plate otherwise - they went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base. They scattered two singles around Nimmo’s double and homer and Brett Baty’s double
Willie Mays turns 92 years old today
Former Mets RHP Matt Harvey announced his retirement from baseball on Friday

Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (17-16) vs Rockies (12-21)

Where: Citi Field — Flushing, NY

Starters: RHP Tylor Megill (3-1, 4.11 ERA) vs LHP Austin Gomber (2-4, 7.57 ERA)

When: 4:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

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One’s enough on some days… ✍🏼

It was an imperfect evening to say the least at Citi Field on Friday, but sometimes imperfection can be just enough to squeak out a win.

Such was the case for the Mets with Kodai Senga on the mound. His night defined that imperfection for the club. Yes, he threw six shutout innings but had to navigate around four walks. It was a quality, progressing and often dominant outing for him. His ghost fork served as a dominant pitch for him as he induced a 67% swing and miss rate on that pitch, and his fastball was lively with varying speeds all night long. His command continues to be an issue, but that’s part of the adjustment to American ball the Mets are navigating him through. All-in-all, this was a progressive performance for Senga and should serve as a good confidence booster for him as the Mets try to ramp him up to a regular pitching schedule over the next month or so.

Then of course there’s the offense, and in what has become par for the course these days, a lack thereof. But the one run they scored was enough on this night thanks to Brandon Nimmo, who is emerging as a star in this game. His fourth inning home run was all the Mets needed on this imperfect evening, but he also provided another jolt with a leadoff double in the sixth, but with the offense staggering so badly, the Mets couldn’t bring him around to score.

As I’ve said many times, this offense is designed around two players - Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor. When those two are hitting, watch out. But when they’re not, as has been the case for a while now, there’s just a lot of emptiness. The offense becomes station-to-station thanks to their singles hitting offense. The Mets will tell you their contact-first approach will eventually translate into a high-scoring offense, as it generally was last year. But the results are what they are and we are getting towards the mile marker (Memorial Day-ish) where its safe to say they are what they are.

But look - wins are wins. The Mets needed this one on Friday, no matter how imperfect or concerning the signs continue to be at the plate. They got some pitching and found a way to win by a small margin. That is the mark of a good team, so hopefully this is the start of some much-needed positive momentum for the club.

Around the League 🚩

Fernando Tatís, Jr. belted two home runs in the Padres’ 5-2 win over the Dodgers
The Rays edged the Yankees 5-4 as they improved to 18-2 at Tropicana Field
Kyle Tucker hit a go-ahead home run in the ninth to lead the Astros to a 6-4 win over the Mariners