Kodai Sengas ugly start sinks Mets in loss to As with skid hitting four games
Kodai Senga had a throwback performance on Saturday, but not in a positive sense.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.
In a reversion to the second half of last season, when the right-hander became easy work for opponents, Senga got jumped early by the A’s and couldn’t even deliver the Mets through three innings.Sloppy defense didn’t help and Luke Weaver imploded late, but this one was mostly on Senga in his team’s 11-6 loss at Citi Field that gave the Mets a four-game losing streak.The Mets awoke offensively after three straight dormant games but never caught the A’s following Senga’s ugly abbreviated outing.Senga smacked his right leg in disgust with his glove as he walked toward the dugout following his removal in the third inning.Senga lasted only 2 1/3 innings, surrendering seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts before he was removed at 72 pitches.
It was a reversal from what the Mets had seen from Senga in his first two starts this season, in which he was effective against the Cardinals and Giants.Bo Bichette ended the Mets’ scoreless drought at 17 innings with an RBI single in the first against lefty Jacob Lopez that gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.The scoreless drought was the Mets’ second this season that lasted at least 17 innings.Senga walked Denzel Clarke with the bases loaded in the second to give the A’s their first run.
Lawrence Butler’s RBI fielder’s choice extended the lead to 2-1.Senga’s troubles started with consecutive singles by Jacob Wilson and Jeff McNeil to begin the inning before Carlos Cortes walked with one out to load the bases.
Francisco Lindor had a defensive lapse in the inning — he was caught out of position on a grounder to Marcus Semien, costing the Mets a shot at a double play on Butler’s grounder that could have ended the inning.Semien instead ran to the base after fielding the ...