The LA Dodgers routed the New York Mets in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. They won 9-0 with Mets starter Kodai Senga taking the loss after just 1.1 innings on the mound. There were questions about whether the Mets should have gone ahead with the Japanese as the starter.
On SNY's post-game coverage, analyst Andy Martino summarised the Mets' decision while also pointing out why the Dodgers were able to dominate the 31-year-old. As per Martino, other starters Sean Manaea and Luis Severino didn't have enough rest after starting in the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies.
"The two main questions around Mets after the Game 1 loss to the Dodgers were, why did Kodai Senga start the game? And, can they start Kodai Senga again in this postseason? So the first question, look, Sean Manaea would've been on regular rest, Luis Severino actually would have had a couple of days extra rest, but this time of the year it is kinda tricky with all the innings on those guys' arms," Martino said.
Senga had a small outing in the start against the Phillies in the NLDS opener, pitching just 2.0 innings and giving up a solo home run to Kyle Schwarber. However, Martino said that his overall performance looked a bit dicey. The Dodgers unlike the Phillies didn't chase the pitches outside the strike zone gaining an advantage in the at-bats.
"The Mets did like what they saw from Senga in Philadelphia although the scouts following the postseason didn't love it. They thought even after that Kyle Schwarber home run, Senga nibbled a little bit, was a little tentative.
We saw that even worse in game one against the Dodgers. The Dodgers don't chase like the Phillies did. Senga didn't have life in his pitches, he didn't have the velocity and he didn't have the command," Martino added.
Kodai Senga disappointed after 'frustrating' 30-pitch outing
After the game, the 2023 All-Star spoke about letting his team down in such a crunch game. According to Kodai Senga (who threw 30 pitches and only 10 strikes), he seemed to have overthought the nitty gritty and details of his pitches.
"I was thinking about the mechanics out there, but just getting the team on the wrong foot to start the game was definitely frustrating," Senga said.
Senga has pitched just 8.2 innings this entire year, regular season and postseason combined. He was diagnosed with a moderate posterior capsule strain early on in the season and didn't make an appearance till July 26th. He was ruled out for the rest of the season but was reinstated in the Mets' starting rotation for October.