Senga Spooks Rockies As Mets Win 8-2

New York Mets 8, Colorado Rockies 2 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets Record: 36-22

Mets Streak: W2

Mets Last 10: 7-3

WP: Kodai Senga (6-3) LP: Antonio Senzatela (1-10)

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 delivered another dominant start against the Rockies on Saturday.

Today's Seat on the Korner goes to Mets' starter Kodai Senga, who was absolutely dealing from the jump. Senga overcame a first-inning homer to retire 17 straight Rockies as part of a strong effort, allowing only two hits and two runs in 6.1 innings while striking out seven.

Need To Know:

• Brett Baty's three-run triple in the first inning was the Mets' 13th three-bagger of the season. The Mets hit just 15 triples in all of 2024.

• Rockies' starter Antonio Senzatela gave up four first inning runs to raise his ERA in that frame to 12.00 for the season.

• Senzatela fell to 2-4 in his career against the Mets with a loss today.

• Senga has allowed three runs or fewer in 28 consecutive starts, a stretch that dates back to the 2023 season.

• The Mets finished the month of May with a 15-12 record.

• The Mets moved to within a half game of first place in the National League East with their win. If the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Philadelphia Phillies today, the Mets will be in first on the strength of their head-to-head tiebreaker with the Phillies.

• The Mets improved to 5-1 while wearing their City Connect uniforms.

• Mets' manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters prior to today's game that Paul Blackburn will be activated from the injured list to enter the rotation as a sixth starter on Monday in Los Angeles.

Turning Point:

While runners in scoring position has been a big issue for the Mets, they got a big hit early in the contest. With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the first, Brett Baty went the opposite way for a triple off the wall, clearing the bases to give the Mets a 3-1 lead. While Rockies' center fielder Brenton Doyle undoubtedly could have caught the ball if he took a better route to it, the Mets would happily take the big hit and grab a huge lead early.

Three Things:

Finding Nimmo's Lineup Spot:

After starting the season in the middle of the order, the Mets have moved Brandon Nimmo up to the two hole to try and get his bat going. The results have been positive as Nimmo went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a two-run homer off of Senzatela in the fourth inning. Nimmo entered the day hitting .385 as the two hitter and should maintain that slot against righties going forward.

Soto Shows Signs Of Waking Up For Mets:

A day after collecting two hard hits, Juan Soto delivered another encouraging sign that he is coming out of his season-long funk by going the opposite way for a home run in the fourth inning. Soto has historically been at his best when he uses the whole field, and the fact he went the other way with authority could be a sign he is starting to settle in and not feel as much pressure to be the man on a very good team.

Francisco Alvarez's Funk Continues:

The Mets have tried to demonstrate patience with Francisco Alvarez but have gotten little for their faith in their former top prospect. Alvarez did manage to get a hit on the day but he struck out twice to drop his batting average to .235 on the season. With Luis Torrens proving to be a valuable player at bat and in the field, Alvarez may start losing more playing time if he can't snap out of his cold stretch soon.