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Kodai Senga had no desire to sugarcoat his experience against Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. When asked if he enjoys facing his fellow Japanese countryman, the Mets ace simply laughed and replied through an interpreter: “It's not fun.”
That sentiment became crystal clear on Sunday night at Citi Field. Senga's second pitch of the game was launched into the second deck by Ohtani, a 467-foot moonshot that tied him with Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead in home runs at 18. It was a rude awakening for Senga, but also a tone-setting swing for the Dodgers in what was expected to be a marquee matchup.
Instead, the Mets flipped the script. Senga settled down, tossing 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, and New York emerged with a gritty 3-1 win to take the series. It was the type of bounce-back performance manager Carlos Mendoza raved about after the game, especially coming off a 13-inning loss on Friday.
“It shows a lot about that group, our ability to bounce back, the grit, the resilience,” Mendoza said. “It was on display the whole weekend.”
Shohei Ohtani gets the best of Kodai Senga in Mets' victory
Ohtani wasn’t done dazzling. Earlier in the day, he threw live batting practice for the first time since undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in September 2023. His fastball touched 97 mph, and he struck out two batters over five plate appearances. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called the session “exciting for all of us.”
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Still, Ohtani's bat was the only spark for a Dodgers offense that struggled all night. The Mets' defense played a pivotal role, highlighted by Tyrone Taylor’s outfield assist to nail Mookie Betts at the plate in the first inning and Juan Soto’s leaping grab to rob Michael Conforto.
New York capitalized on early Dodgers errors. After a Max Muncy miscue allowed Soto to reach in the first, Pete Alonso smashed a two-run homer to break a 65 at-bat home run drought. In the third, another Dodgers error on a routine double play allowed Francisco Lindor to advance to third, and he scored on a Soto fielder's choice.
From there, the Mets' bullpen took over. Ryne Stanek, Max Kranick, and Reed Garrett combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings, with Garrett notching his first save of the season in place of Edwin Díaz.
The victory improved the Mets to 32-21 and snapped a two-series losing streak. Meanwhile, the Dodgers dropped to 32-21 and continue to look more like a .500 team than a powerhouse since their 8-0 start to the season.
Despite the loss, Ohtani's continued brilliance stood out. Not only is he leading the league in home runs, but his return to pitching appears to be progressing steadily. “Just really felt good overall,” Ohtani said after his throwing session. “It was a really good first step, and looking forward to the next one.”
For Senga, though, one thing remains clear. Facing Shohei Ohtani is no fun at all.
