Senga pitches Mets past Marlins 5-2 in Citi Field debut
NEW YORK (AP) -- Senga won his fantastic Citi Field debut and the New York Mets got home runs from Pete Alonso and slumping Eduardo Escobar to beat the Miami Marlins 5-2 on Saturday.
With fans hanging ghost signs on an outfield railing to mark Senga's strikeouts, the Japanese rookie with the disappearing "ghost forkball" fired six innings of three-hit ball. The only run he allowed came on a leadoff homer by Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the sixth.
Wearing a Mets blue-and-orange glove with an image of a ghost and a pitchfork, Senga (2-0) walked three and whiffed six. Four strikeouts came on his "ghost fork" — including all three batters in the second inning.
All eight of Senga's strikeouts came on that nasty forkball when he won his major league debut Sunday in Miami. The right-hander signed a $75 million, five-year contract with the Mets in December after pitching for 11 seasons in Japan with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
John Curtiss retired cleanup batter Jorge Soler with the bases loaded to preserve a three-run lead in the seventh. Curtiss worked a perfect eighth and David Robertson breezed through a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save this season in place of injured closer Edwin Díaz.
Luis Arraez had an RBI single for the Marlins, and Chisholm made two outstanding catches at his new spot in center field.
One day after the Mets drew 12 walks in a 9-3 win, Jeff McNeil walked with the bases loaded in the first to force in the first run.
Alonso chased Trevor Rogers (0-2) in the fifth with a two-run shot, his fourth homer in the past three games and fifth this season. Rogers also lost to Senga last weekend.
McNeil also doubled on his 31st birthday leading off the sixth and scored on the homer by Escobar, who began the day batting .083 with one RBI.
New York (5-4) has not made an error this year, the longest stretch to begin a season in franchise history.
MOVING AROUND
Mark Canha started at first base for the first time since 2020 with Oakland, giving Alonso a little break as the DH.
UP NEXT
Marlins: LHP Braxton Garrett moves back into the rotation Sunday in the series finale. Garrett will start in place of Johnny Cueto, placed on the injured list after leaving his Marlins debut Monday with right biceps tightness. Garrett, the seventh overall pick in the 2016 amateur draft, was 3-7 with a 3.58 ERA in 17 starts for Miami last season. He made one relief appearance in the majors this year, allowing two runs and six hits over three innings April 1 against the Mets.
Mets: Francisco Álvarez will make his first start behind the plate since getting recalled from the minors Friday, manager Buck Showalter said. The 21-year-old Álvarez is one of the top-ranked prospects in baseball. Carlos Carrasco (0-1) pitches for New York after giving up five runs, four hits and four walks over four-plus innings in his season debut Monday at Milwaukee. He is 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA in 10 career starts against Miami.
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