Kodai Senga Comes Up Big To End Losing Streak
Kodai Senga. Photo by MMO’s Ed Delany
The New York Mets were in dire need of a strong pitching performance, and they certainly got that from Kodai Senga in Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The right-hander gave up one unearned run, allowing two hits, four walks while striking out six in seven innings.
It came at a perfect time for the Mets and Senga, who struggled mightily in his last outing against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Obviously, not an ideal start last time. With the team being on a bit of a slump, I was determined to stop the losing streak,” Senga said.
Saturday’s game could be a sign of better things to come for the 30-year-old rookie, who has yet to discover any sort of rhythm away from Citi Field. Senga is 3-2 in six road starts, but he has a 4.78 ERA in 32 innings. In comparison, the Mets’ starter is 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 32 2/3 innings at home.
The next step for Senga is to improve his consistency on the road, taking a positive step in that area against the Pirates.
Brandon Nimmo. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
The right-hander was helped out by some remarkable defense, most notably from center fielder Brandon Nimmo.
In the bottom of the third inning, Connor Joe hit a fly ball to deep center field. Nimmo read it well off the bat, making a leaping catch as he connected with the wall, stranding all three base runners. Two innings later, he made another incredible play against Joe, diving towards his right on a ball to left center field.
“It seems like every time I pitch, Brandon [Nimmo] makes amazing catches for me,” Senga said. “I have a lot of trust in the outfield there and at this point sometimes I get hit and, ‘Oh, no.’ But at some point, some part of my brain is thinking, ‘I think maybe he is going to catch it.’
Nimmo came up to the big leagues as an outfielder with defensive weaknesses, but that aspect of his game has drastically improved. His ability to track the baseball off the bat has allowed him to utilize his underrated speed on occasions. Nimmo’s improvement in the field has helped him development into on the most well-rounded center fielders in all of baseball.
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