Baseball: The Mets, the right-hander Senga, manhandled at the start of the game, suffers his second defeat

New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga gave up five runs in five innings of work in a 5-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.

Senga (4-2) gave up eight hits, including five in a four-run first inning, while batting seven times and walking once at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

In the first set, the 30-year-old right-hander allowed Jonathan India to score an early double and took out TJ Friedl and Spencer Steer. But the next five batsmen reached base.

Senga, in his first year in the majors after 11 seasons with the SoftBank Hawks in Japan, rebounded and retired five straight batters but suffered his second loss in three starts.

He also gave up a solo home run to Steer in the fifth inning.

Limiting outs has been one of the main goals for Senga, who had let three or four batters through in each of his previous six outings.

“Today I was able to locate my shots better than usual,” said Senga. “That’s why my shots ended up in strike zones. I will try to learn from it and do well next time.

Kodai Senga of the New York Mets leaves the field during the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 11, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Getty/Essonne Info)

Ben Lively (1-0) of the Reds pitched three relief innings for the win.

At Target Field in Minneapolis, San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish didn’t have a decision after allowing two runs and batting seven times in six innings in a 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Féliciane is one of the talented editors of Essonneinfo. She has written for the site since its launch, and has become a well-known figure in the industry for her skillful reporting and unique take on stories. Féliciane’s main hobby is travelling. Her passion for travel has allowed her to write in-depth articles on cultures around the world.