Mets Fall 5-1 to Marlins, Kodai Senga Struggles Again

The New York Mets suffered a 5-1 defeat to the Miami Marlins on Sunday, concluding a tough four-game series in which the Mets won just one. The loss drops the Mets to 73-64, while the Marlins improve to 65-72.

Kodai Senga’s Ongoing Struggles

Kodai Senga’s difficulties continued as he took the mound for the Mets. Since returning from the injured list in July, Senga has struggled to find his rhythm. On Sunday, he had trouble throwing first-pitch strikes and often fell behind hitters, which proved costly.

In the first inning, Senga allowed a run due to some effective small ball from the Marlins. His biggest setback came in the third when he hung a breaking ball to Agustín Ramírez, who launched a two-run homer over the left-field wall, extending Miami’s lead to 3-0.

Ultimately, Senga’s outing ended after 4.2 innings, during which he surrendered five earned runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked two while throwing 75 pitches, only 43 of which were strikes.

Sandy Alcantara Shines for Miami

On the other side, Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara showcased his All-Star form, silencing the Mets’ bats for the first six innings. The former Cy Young winner went seven innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits, striking out six and walking one.

Seventh-Inning Fracas

The game took a brief turn in the bottom of the seventh when Alcantara hit Mets’ player Mark Vientos with a pitch. This led to some heated exchanges and both teams emptying their dugouts and bullpens, although the situation was quickly defused with no further escalation.

Mets’ Offense Struggles

It was a tough day at the plate for the Mets, with only Jeff McNeil standing out by recording two hits against Alcantara. In the seventh inning, McNeil’s single helped set up the Mets’ first run, which came on a force-out by Cedric Mullins. Notably, all five of the Mets’ hits came from the top five batters in the lineup: Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Brandon Nimmo, and McNeil.

Brandon Waddell’s Impressive Relief

A bright spot for the Mets was Brandon Waddell, who was called up just before the game. He pitched 4.1 scoreless innings in relief, allowing only three hits, striking out four, and walking two, effectively saving the Mets’ bullpen.

Looking Ahead

The Mets will now hit the road for a 10-game trip, starting with three games against the Detroit Tigers. Sean Manaea is set to take the mound against veteran Charlie Morton in Monday’s matchup, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. on SNY.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.