Mets 7 Braves 6 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Game 118 of 162
Mets record: 53-65
Mets streak: Won 1
WP - Kodai Senga (9-6)
LP - Yonny Chirinos (5-5)
S- Adam Ottavino (7)
Seat on the Korner: Rafael Ortega
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.
The chair goes to journeyman outfielder Rafael Ortega who entered tonights game on an 0-7 streak, Rafael went 3 for 4 scored 2 runs and drove in 2 as well.
Need to Know
Tonight's contest against the Braves had been moved to a 7:10 p.m. start and was broadcast nationally on ESPN.
With the win tonight the Mets avoided their seventh sweep of the season...The Mets were last swept by the Braves in a four game series from May 20-22, 2008 in Atlanta...The Braves have never swept the Mets in a four game series in New York.
Kodai Senga made his 22nd start of the season tonight...He is now 9-6 with a 3.30 ERA with 59 walks and 149 strikeouts this season...His 142 strikeouts through his previous 21 career starts is the third-most in franchise history...Only Dwight Gooden (165) and Matt Harvey (154) have struck out more...His 142 punchouts are the fourth-most by a Japanese born player through 21 career starts...He trails Hideo Nomo (188), Yu Darvish (154) and Masahiro Tanaka (147).
Kodai Senga is just the seventh rookie in Mets history to make at least 20 starts with a 3.25 ERA or lower...He joins Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, Dwight Gooden, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.
Jeff McNeil is on a seven-game hitting streak, batting .384 (10-26) with six runs, one double, one home run, one RBI, two walks .In 22 games since July 21, Jeff McNeil is batting .317 (27-85) with 14 runs, three doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBI, five walks
Atlanta is now 8-2 in ten games against the Mets this season,...The Braves have won 15 of the last 17 games with New York dating to last season, outscoring the Mets 124-61 (+63) over that stretch.
The Mets are now 35-10 when the starting pitcher throws at least 6.0 innings.
Turning Point
DJ Stewart reaching 1st base on catchers interference which allowed the Mets fifth run to score was the turning point.
Three Keys
Kodai Senga
Kodai rebounded from a tough first inning in which he gave up 3 runs , he then retired 13 in a row and held the Braves off the board into the seventh.
LIFE RAF
Rafael Ortega gave the Mets production out of the 9 hole going 3 for 4 and driving in 2 runs on the night putting the finishing touch on a 6 run fifth.
Otto-matic
After Grant Hartwig, Brooks Raley gave up home runs in relief, Drew Smith got an out as a bridge to the ninth, Adam Ottavino retired the Braves in order for his seventh save of the season.