Citi Field got its first haunting of the season.
Kodai Senga dazzled in his Citi Field debut leading the Mets’ to a 5-2 win over the Marlins on Saturday afternoon. The 30-year-old utilized his well-advertised ghost fork pitch holding Miami to just one run over six innings of work while striking out six.
Senga’s second MLB outing was even better than his first — 5.1 IP, three hits and one earned run on Apr. 2 — and it came against the same opponent, the only blip on his outing Saturday being a solo homer served up to Jazz Chisholm in the sixth.
“Obviously very grateful and I feel very warm and welcomed,” Senga said after his outing. “Hopefully next time, I can put up more ghosts [referring to the emoji’s displayed when he records a strikeout.]”
The righty — who signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Amazins in Dec. of 2022 — received plenty of help
Pete Alonso slugged his league-leading fifth homer to give the Mets a 3-0 lead in the fifth. Alonso has gotten the power stroke going in the early going as five of his eight hits (batting .235 on the season) have left the yard.
A welcome sight for the Amazins came in the bottom of the fifth as Eduardo Escobar got on the board. The switch hitter broke out in a big way with an opposite-field homer recording his first hit from the left side on the season.
The 34-year-old is now 3-for-28 (.107) in the early going.
“It’s one of those things where you have to continue to come in each and every day with a positive attitude,” Escobar said of his struggles. “At the end of the day, I’m not gonna be able to control what the results are. But what I can control is my work ethic and my eagerness to get better each and every day.”
The bullpen for Buck Showalter’s squad was mostly sharp in their series-clinching victory. Drew Smith was charged the second run of the game after Luis Arraez singled in Bryan De La Cruz, however, Brooks Raley allowed the hit. John Curtiss pitched a clean 1.1 frames before David Roberston came on to close the door
Robertson secured his second save of the season filling in the closer role for the injured Edwin Diaz — who will likely miss the season due to a torn patella tendon suffered while celebrating Puerto Rico’s World Baseball Classic Pool Play victory over the Dominican Republic.
The veteran has yet to allow a run in his four appearances this season.
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