Final Score: Mets 2 Nationals 1 (Citi Field)
GAME 102 OF 162
Mets record: 48-54
Mets streak: Won 1
WP - David Peterson (3-7)
LP - Mason Thompson (3-4)
S - Brooks Raley (2)
Seat on the Korner: Mark Canha
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Today's Seat on the Korner belongs to Mark Canha who continued his success against the Nationals as he was the only player to get hits off of Nationals starter Josiah Gray, going 2 for 2 against him and was 2 for 3 and a game winning sac fly on the night, raising his average to .366 (33-90) with 16 runs, five doubles, two home runs, 16 RBI and four walks in 24 career games against the Nationals.
Need to Know
Kodai Senga made his 19th start of season, it was his ninth start at home, Senga is 3-2 with a 2.40 ERA (15ER/56.1 IP) with 27 walks and 71 strikeouts
Senga had recorded 125 strikeouts through his first 18 games this season...That places him fourth in Mets history behind only Dwight Gooden (143), Matt Harvey (132) and Nolan Ryan (127)
Senga has won seven games during his rookie campaign, tying Steven Matz for the most first-half wins by a Mets rookie since 2012...The last Mets rookie hurler to win more games was Robert Gsellman (eight wins in 2017)...Senga's seven wins are tied with Seattle's Bryce Miller for the most among all major league rookies this season and his 125 strikeouts are the most by any rookie.
David Peterson had another good relief appearance throwing 2 scoreless innings to pick up the win and has now pitched to a 2.45 ERA (5 ER/18.1 IP) over five games (three start) since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on July 15.
The only other National League teams in action tonight were the Chicago Cubs and St.Louis Cardinals meaning the Mets picked up ground on everyone but the Cubs.
Corey Dickerson robbed Omar Narvaez twice in the game, one going back on the ball in the gap in the 5th and on coming to catch a potential game tying single in the bottom of the 7th.
The Mets are now 6 games below .500 and 17 games behind in the NL East and 7 games out of the wild card.
Turning Point
The turning point of the game came in the bottom of the eighth inning after Jeff McNeil reached on a swinging bunt and Pete Alonso had a bloop single setting up a first and third with one out situation, Nationals manager Dave Martinez elected to stay with reliever Mason Thompson to pitch to Daniel Vogelbach who singled to tie the game at 1. Thompson then threw a wild pitch and then hit DJ Stewart to load the bases, just as the rain rolled in, after an hour and thirty seven minute rain delay Kyle Finnegan came in to face Mark Canha with the bases loaded who delivered a sac fly to break the 1-1 tie.
Three Keys
Kodai Senga and the Joy of Six:
Senga gave the Mets another quality start as he went 6 innings, and helped the Mets improve to 31-7 when the starting pitcher throws at least 6.0 innings..
Perfect Pen-man-ship
After Kodai Senga gave the Mets a strong six innings, David Peterson and Brooks Raley kept the Nats off the board. Brooks Raley came into the game in a save situation because during the rain delay per Ken Rosenthal of the Atlantic the Mets traded their closer David Robertson who had been warming up prior the rain delay to the Marlins for 18 year old INF Marco Vargas and 19 year old C Ronald Hernandez.
On The Mark
Mark Canha had an hour and thirty seven minutes to think about his at bat against Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan and he made it count driving the winning run in.
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