Game 33 of 162
Mets 1 - Rockies 0 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 17-16
Mets streak: Won 1
WP - Kodai Senga (4-1)
LP - Antonio Senzatela (0-1)
SV - Adam Ottavino (5)
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.
Kodai Senga's six scoreless innings were exactly what the Mets needed after the disaster of a series in Detroit as he led the Mets to their first win since Monday and send the Mets back to the right side of .500 for the season.
Need to Know
Senga, on eight days rest, threw six shutout innings. still dealt with control issues as only 53 of his 101 pitches were strikes. The issue wasn't really the off speed stuff, but it was the four seamer. Of his 53 fastballs, 24 of them were balls, 12 were strikes (including one strikeout looking), three outs, three foul balls, and one hit. After his first four fastballs were strikes, the next 15 that were taken were out of the strike zone.
But Senga's control got better as he went along, as he didn't walk anyone in innings 4-6 and he only gave up two 2-out singles which were immediately squashed. The four walks that he gave up were also with two outs so even though he was still a bit wild, he was never in super-serious trouble.
Antonio Senzatela lasted five innings for the Rockies. and first time through the order he was perfect. He only gave up the one run and three hits and a walk.
The last time the Mets won a 1-0 game was on August 13th against the Phillies in a game started by Jacob deGrom.
This was the 111th straight game that the Mets won after having a lead after the 8th inning.
Brandon Nimmo responded very well to his vapor lock on his attempted steal in Detroit by reaching base three times, making an excellent catch to help out Senga, and being responsible for the only run of the game. Speaking of ...
Turning Point
After Senzatela mowed down the order first time through, Nimmo led off the fourth with a plan to look first pitch fastball and let 'er rip ...
Brandon Nimmo has been streaky this season. Perhaps this starts another good streak. It certainly turned the game around in their favor.
Three Keys
The three keys after Kodai Senga's six inning outing, which was much needed, were bullpen, bullpen, bullpen. In any 1-0 win these days, the bullpen is extra important. And each inning deserves it's own mention as a key to the game. First, Drew Smith, who gave up a hit in the 7th but struck out two and brought his ERA down to 2.08 for the season.
Then came David Robertson to face the meat of the order in the 8th, and he got himself into trouble right off the bat with a leadoff walk to Jurickson Profar. Then after getting two flyouts, Tomas Nido tried to pick off Profar at first but threw the ball into right field. Then after walking Elias Diaz, the Rockies pinch ran for him at first with Brenton Doyle. Ryan McMahon then hit a grounder towards the hole that may or may have been an out if it had gotten to Pete Alonso at first. But thankfully for the Mets, it never reached him:
Most 108 mph grounders would have tied the game. But the Mets needed that "puck luck" that they got from Doyle's shinguard.
Then came Adam Ottavino in the 9th, and this inning got dicey early as well. Ottavino gave up a single to Randal Grichuk, and he immediately stole second on Ottavino (who is notoriously slow to the plate) and Tomas Nido (who dropped the ball ... he had a tough couple of innings.) Grichuk was sacrificed to third which set up a huge showdown between Ottavino and pinch hitter Mike Moustakas. Ottavino got Moustakas to swing at a 2-1 changeup in the dirt, and then after almost hitting him with the 2-2 pitch, blew him away with a fastball. That was the biggest out of the game. Charlie Blackmon then came up and hit one hard, but right to Starling Marte to end it for a win that was sorely needed.
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