Mets Hang On By A (Ham)String In Second Straight Sweep

Mets 4 Nationals 3 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets Record: 45-24

Mets Streak: W6

Mets Last 10: 8-2

WP: Kodai Senga (7-3)

LP: Michael Soroka (3-4)

SV: Edwin Diaz (15)

Seat On The Korner: Kodai Senga

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.

It's hard to declare any Mets starter as the ace of the staff when so many of them have been so good all season. That said, Kodai Senga was expected to be the ace coming into the season, and he has certainly lived up to those expectations. And while last night's complete game shutout by David Peterson was obviously going to be a tough act to follow, Senga took the mound today ready to accept that challenge. What resulted was a masterful 5.2 innings of 1-hit, 1-walk, 5-strikeout baseball, that would no doubt have gone on longer if it weren't for an injury. With one out in the top of the 6th inning, Nats shortstop CJ Abrams hit hit a grounder to first baseman Pete Alonso, whose toss to the covering Senga was a bit high. Senga lunged for it, caught it, tagged the base, and immediately crumbled to the ground. After the game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that for now they're calling it a hamstring strain with an MRI expected tomorrow. In all likelihood, Senga will go on the IL, with tomorrow's results determining the expected length of the stay. It's also worth noting that, through his translator, Senga informed Alonso that he felt the strain on the step prior to Alonso's throw. Lost in all this though, is that for the entire afternoon, Senga was matching the masterpiece that Peterson presented last night.

Need To Know:

• The Mets have now won 6 straight, 7 of their last 8, 11 of their last 13, and 15 of their last 18. In other words, they're doing well.

• New York is now 21 games above .500 for the first time since 2022.

• Jeff McNeil's 3rd-inning HBP was the Mets Major League-leading 46th of the season.

• Francisco Alvarez returned to the lineup one day after the birth of his daughter.

• The Mets will face the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow, looking to tie their season-high 7-game winning streak.

• They are now 20-5 when hitting two or more home runs in a game.

• Their 27-7 home record is the best home start in franchise history.

  
  

Turning Point:

Today's turning point didn't seem like a turning point at the time. The Mets took an early lead on Jeff McNeil's first-inning 3-run home run and seemed to be on cruise control from that point on. Between the Nationals recent hitting woes, and Kodai Senga's pitching prowess, 3 runs appeared to be sufficient. Of course, much like pitching, you can never have too many run. So when Brandon Nimmo launched a solo shot to right in the 5th inning, it felt like a "nice-to-have" insurance run. Turns out, it was the difference maker in the game, as the Nats 9th-inning comeback fell one run short.

Three Keys:

Taylor Made

Mets fans will never take Tyrone Taylor's near-daily highlight reel plays for granted. Today's was not only clutch within the game, it was also reminiscent of one of the most famous centerfield catches in Mets history.

Following the injury to Kodai Senga, Mets reliever Jose Castillo gave up a single to talented Nationals outfielder, James Wood. Luis Garcia Jr. followed the hit with a fly ball deep in the right center field alley, a long distance for Taylor, as well as right fielder Juan Soto. That didn't stop Taylor though. He chased the ball down and timed his dive perfectly, catching the ball as he landed on the warning track, ending the inning, preserving the shutout, and reminding the fans that there could be life after Senga. For some, including Mets radio announcer Howie Rose, this play was reminiscent of Tommie Agee's catch off the bat of Paul Blair in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series.

The Squirrel Flies Again

For the fourth time in the past five games, Jeff McNeil homered, this one providing a 3-run cushion in the first inning. McNeil followed walks by Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto with a line drive to right that landed a few rows deep. The 3-run blast extended McNeil's hitting streak to 6 games, with 10 RBI's during that stretch.

One-Pitch Huascar

With all the success of the starting pitching recently, Mets relievers have had a restful break. It could be understandable if there was some concern about rust due to lack of usage. Well, for Huascar Brazoban, that seemed to be a non-issue today. With a runner on first and one out in the top of the 7th and the Nationals looking to mount a comeback, Carlos Mendoza summoned Brazoban from the pen in hopes of putting an end to any potential Nats rally. The Mets reliever strictly threw sinkers to Washington outfielder Alex Call, who grounded the third one to short for a textbook 6-4-3 double play.

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