Despite a flurry of solo home runs, the Mets fell 6-4 in Sunday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Here are some takeaways…
1. Sunday’s biggest headline centered around Kodai Senga pitching on normal rest for the first time this season. After coming over from Japan, the righty had been pitching with an extra day of rest through his first 10 starts.
Senga cruised through the first, working around a two out walk, with some help from his battery-mate Francisco Alvarez. Walks become and issue for him in the second, though.
Whit Merrifield took advantage of Senga’s struggles with command, this time making him pay with a two-run double to right-center, giving Toronto the game’s first lead. The Jays added another in the third when Guerrero Jr. pulled his hands inside and deposited his ninth home run of the season into the left-field bleachers.
Later in that inning, Alvarez trusted his arm again, as he attempted to pick Matt Chapman off second. The throw hit Chapman’s ankle and rolled into center, and the runner aggressively rounded third and scored just ahead of Alvarez’s tag for a fourth run.
Senga was removed later in the frame after 68 pitches in 2.2 innings. He allowed four runs on four hits with five walks and three strikeouts.
2. The Mets’ offense had their chance to get going offensively against Yusei Kikuchi in the home half of the second. With one out, Starling Marte lined a hit into the right-center gap.
The ball rolled to the base of the wall and Marte wound up at third with a triple, but after umpires came together and reviewed the play, he was placed back at second with a ground-rule double.
Marte did eventually advance to third on a wild pitch, but was ultimately stranded there when Mark Vientos struck out on a sharp breaking ball to end the frame.
3. New York got a run back in the fourth quarter Tommy Pham slapped an opposite field home run to right. The 35-year-old added another round-tripper in the fifth to cut the deficit in half. All five of Pham’s home runs this season have come against left-handed pitching.
Solo shots continued to fuel the Mets in the sixth. Against Nate Pearson, Pete Alonso pulled a breaking ball just over the orange line in left field to bring New York within a run. It was Alonso’s 21st home run of the year, and put him in sole possession of the most home runs in Citi Field history with 72. Later in the frame, Marte crushed a fastball into the left field seats to knot the game at four.
4. Stephen Nogosek entered out of the bullpen to end the third in relief of Senga. After 2.1 no-hit innings to begin the outing, Nogosek departed with two on and two out in the sixth. Dominic Leone came on and was able to get Springer to ground out to end the threat.
Toronto did quickly take the lead back, though, on the strength of a two-run home run from a red-hot Brandon City. The slugger reached base six times this series.
5. Following the homer, neither bullpen surrendered a run heading to the bottom of the ninth.
Highlights
What’s Next
The Mets hit the road for Atlanta and a three-game series with the Braves beginning on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 7:20 pm