Game 55 of 162
Mets 2 Phillies 0 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 28-27
Mets streak: Won 1
WP - Kodai Senga (5-3)
LP - Ranger Suarez (0-2)
SV - David Robertson (9)
Seat on the Korner:
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.
Absolute brilliance from Kodai Senga who threw seven shutout innings to help get the Mets back over .500 with a 2-0 win at Citi Field.
Need to Know
Senga had his best outing of the year, giving up one hit and no walks in seven innings, throwing 100 pitches.
Senga also retired the last 14 hitters to face him.
The Mets are now 14-0 when the starting pitcher goes six innings, and 5-0 when the starter goes seven.
This was the Mets' fourth shutout win of the year.
Senga's ERA at Citi Field is now 1.20.
Francisco Lindor's home run gave the Mets a home run in their 13th straight game, as well as a 1-0 lead.
The Mets extended their franchise record to 120 straight victories when leading after eight innings.
Turning Point
Can you have a turning point while the score is 0-0 in the 4th? Brandon Nimmo says "why yes you most certainly can, golly gee whiz."
The most impressive thing about that was how Nimmo seemed to know from the beginning of the play that this was going to be a ball he had to leap over the wall for. He timed it perfectly to rob Nick Castellanos of a dinger and help Senga along on his brilliant outing. Francisco Lindor would compound the turn by hitting a home run in the bottom of the fourth to give the Mets the lead for good.
Three Keys
Kodai Senga: He's starting to figure it out. His command was the best it has ever been with the Mets as 66 of his 100 pitches were strikes, and it made his ghost fork extra effective as he got the Philies to chase it all night.
Insurance: After Senga left the game, the Mets were ready to hand the game to the bullpen, which has been a little off its tracks in the previous week. So it was imperative to get them an insurance run. Starling Marte got on base on a hit on a pitch just a few inches off the ground, and it set up Eduardo Escobar who also put premium on getting bat on ball on a pitch out of the zone.
Ottavino Slays a Demon: So then the bullpen comes in to pitch the final two innings of a 2-0 lead, and Adam Ottavino starts it off by throwing a four pitch walk to JT Realmuto. Not good to bring the tying run to the plate, worse to put a runner when you have extreme trouble holding runners on. Realmuto knew this, and took off on the second pitch vs Bohm.
It was a quick throw by Francisco Alvarez, but an exquisite tag by Jeff McNeil to get Realmuto, who was looking towards the plate as he was running as if it was a hit and run. For his part, Ottavino looked a million times better after the caught stealing, and set down Bohm and Brandon Marsh without an issue. David Robertson would face the minimum in the 9th for the save, getting Bryson Stott to ground into a double play to end it.
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