LOS ANGELES — Kodai Senga’s second rehab start of sorts was a disaster Sunday, leaving the Mets in the unfamiliar position this postseason of needing to rally from behind in a series.
The Mets had hoped to get three innings from Senga, but were lucky to get three outs. The Japanese right-hander was allergic to the strike zone and buried the Mets early in their 9-0 loss to the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS before 53,503 at Chavez Ravine.
This wasn’t all on Senga on a night the Mets bullpen faltered and the lineup managed only three hits against Jack Flaherty and Dodgers relievers, but the tone was set in the first inning. Senga walked the bases loaded in that frame and allowed two runs. Another run scored after Senga walked the leadoff hitter in the second.
Senga’s velocity was down — he averaged only 93.5 mph with the seven four-seam fastballs he threw — and the Dodgers avoided chasing his signature “ghost fork.” It left Senga to throw mostly ineffective cutters that darted outside the strike zone. Senga cited mechanics as the root of his troubles.
“I’m frustrated and disappointed but I need to keep making adjustments and the team has got a game [Monday], so we have just got to keep winning games,” Senga said through his interpreter.
Whether Senga will get another chance is unclear. The Mets could skip him next time, potentially letting David Peterson start a Game 5 at Citi Field, but manager Carlos Mendoza said it’s too early to make such a determination.
“I think it’s going to come down to how he’s going to bounce back,” Mendoza said.
Senga said he was sound physically, and conveyed that message to Mendoza.
“I don’t know when I’m pitching next, but my job is to adjust and focus on what I need to do to make the next outing better,” Senga said.
This was the gamble in starting Senga in October without a proper buildup — following the calf strain that left him on the injured list after two months — as the regular season closed.
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Senga returned and pitched two innings in Game 1 of the NLDS, surrendering a home run to the first batter he faced, Kyle Schwarber.
But the Mets survived that small misstep and rallied for the victory. On this night, it went from ugly to uglier for the Mets, who were non-competitive in a game for the first time this postseason.
The turnaround will be fast, with Game 2 scheduled for Monday afternoon. Sean Manaea, the Mets’ best starting pitcher for much of this season, will get the call against a bullpen game for the Dodgers (who have thrown 33 straight scoreless innings — matching the postseason record established by the 1966 Orioles, albeit in the World Series).
In beating the Brewers and Phillies in the first two rounds this postseason, the Mets won both opening games and then fell to 1-1. This will be their first time down a game.
“The guys were ready — I was ready, we were all ready,” Francisco Lindor said. “[But] we didn’t play the game better than they did.”
Senga, who threw 30 pitches (only 10 were strikes), recorded only four outs. He was removed in the second after allowing an RBI single to Shohei Ohtani that placed the Mets in a 3-0 hole.
Ohtani was retired leading off the game for the Dodgers, but Senga walked Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez successively before retiring Will Smith for the second out. But Max Muncy delivered a two-run single before Senga could retire Kiké Hernandez for the final out in the first.
Senga walked Gavin Lux leading off the second and Tommy Edman’s sacrifice bunt moved the runner. Ohtani followed with a single through the first-base hole that scored Lux and ended Senga’s outing. Reed Garrett entered to retire Betts before Ohtani was thrown out by Francisco Alvarez attempting to steal second base.
Lindor walked leading off the fourth against Flaherty to give the Mets their first base runner. Pete Alonso drew a two-out walk, but Flaherty retired Starling Marte to end the threat.
Peterson got knocked around in the fourth, allowing three earned runs to widen the deficit to 6-0. Edman and Freeman each delivered an RBI single, sandwiched around Ohtani’s explosive single off the fence in right-center that brought in a run after Marte misplayed the carom. Hernandez’s leadoff single started the rally.
Jesse Winker singled leading off the fifth to give the Mets their first hit, but he was thrown out at third base after hesitating between second and third on Jose Iglesias’ single. Flaherty retired the next three batters.
Flaherty gave the Dodgers seven shutout innings in which he allowed two hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Jose Butto loaded the bases in the eighth before Betts delivered a three-run double. One of the runs was unearned following Alonso’s throwing error.
