NEW YORK — The long ball haunted Kodai Senga and his ghost fork Saturday afternoon at Citi Field. The right-hander surrendered two crucial homers to the Cardinals in the Mets’ 5-3 loss.
Paul Goldschmidt blasted a two-run shot the other way in the top of the second, answering Brandon Nimmo’s leadoff solo shot in the bottom of the first. Jordan Walker added a solo shot to right field off a fastball nearly at his head in the top of the third as that would be all the offense the Cardinals needed to even the series.
Senga tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing four runs while striking out eight. It was a shaky performance — although he did provide length pitching into the seventh — for arguably the team’s best starting pitcher this season as he entered the afternoon with an ERA of 3.34 before parting with a 3.53. The righty wasn’t able to fully capitalize on escaping a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first.
Veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright took the ball for Oliver Marmol’s club and was just a touch better than his counterpart. The 41-year-old tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs — with most of the damage coming from Luis Guillorme’s two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth — and striking out three.
The Mets also utilized the long ball, with a homer each from Nimmo and Guillorme, but the offense without Francisco Lindor — out for most of the afternoon due to the birth of his second child as he pinch-hit in the ninth, getting hit by a pitch — and Pete Alonso (wrist) struggled to string hits together, going 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position.
Buck Showalter’s club threatened in the bottom of the seventh after Guillorme lined a double down the left-field line. However, Jeff McNeil grounded out to short stranding the games tying run on third to end the threat.
Jeff Bringham came on in relief of Senga and tossed a scoreless frame. However, Brooks Raley surrendered a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth to Dylan Carlson, which was plenty for the Cards’ stable of arms — Andre Pallante, Giovanny Gallegos and Jordan Hicks — to secure the victory.
Carlos Carrasco will take the ball for the Mets on Sunday in an attempt to secure the series victory. Matthew Liberatore will toe the slab for the Cardinals.
