Mets start Senga in G1, Manaea in G2 of NLCS vs. Dodgers

NEW YORK – Kodai Senga will start Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers on Sunday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced Saturday. Sean Manaea will start Game 2 on Monday.

The Game 1 starter is the spot the Mets envisioned for Senga when they reported to spring training with the right-hander as their ace. However, the path there went wrong.

Senga did not make his season debut until July 26, after starting the season on the injured list with a posterior capsule strain in his right shoulder. He exited that July game in the sixth inning with a calf strain that sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season. Only if the Mets reach the postseason could Senga provide a path back to the mound in 2024.

That happened, and Senga returned to pitch two innings in Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed one run – a leadoff home run in the first inning against Kyle Schwarber – and had three strikeouts in the Mets' 6-2 road win.

This time in Los Angeles, Senga faces a dangerous Dodgers lineup with a longer leash. Mendoza said Senga could log at least three innings. Senga refused to limit his start.

“I can’t think of a number,” Senga, 31, said through an interpreter. “I'll keep going until they take the ball away from me. And until then I will give 100%.”

The Mets opted to start Senga in Game 1 against Manaea, the team's ace since July, in regulation rest after the left-hander held the Phillies to one run over seven innings in their NLDS-clinching Game 4 win .

“From the beginning, we wanted to put our guys in what we thought was the best position to be successful,” Mendoza said, “given where they are physically.”

One factor in the decision, Mendoza said, was to keep Senga, a very experienced pitcher, “as close to his routine as possible.” But that could change later in the series.

Senga has been tasked with taking a normal pitching break in just three of his 31 starts since joining the Mets from Japan last season – four days between starts. In those games, he posted a 4.61 ERA over 13⅔ innings. The fourth time could come in a possible Game 5 at Citi Field.

“I’m ready for anything,” Senga said. “I don’t expect to make 100 throws tomorrow. And how many days there are between them doesn't matter at this point. We have to win the game, so I'm ready if they challenge me.” “