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There hasn’t been a better sign for the Mets over the season’s first 21 games than the apparent return of their ace.
Kodai Senga isn’t striking out batters at the rate seen two years ago, but getting a good swing against him remains a challenge.
Saturday was a prime example, with the Cardinals going without a hard-hit ball against the right-hander, as computed by Statcast.
Senga went a third straight start without allowing a run, helping the Mets to a 3-0 victory at Citi Field.
The Mets will try for a four-game series sweep on Sunday.
The victory came with a casualty for the Mets, as Mark Vientos exited the game with groin discomfort before the start of the fifth inning.
Overall, Senga’s scoreless streak is 18 ²/₃ innings, a stretch in which he’s allowed 12 hits and struck out 12.
Last season, Senga started only one game for the Mets in the regular season because of various ailments, but he’s regained the form he displayed during a strong 2023 rookie campaign.
On this day he lasted 5 ²/₃ innings and allowed three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Senga peaked at 97.4 mph with his four-seam fastball and got seven swings and misses on his “ghost fork.”
Senga, at 89 pitches, was removed with two outs in the sixth, after drilling Nolan Arenado to give the Cardinals runners on the corners.
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Luisangel Acuña’s double leading off the third ignited a two-run rally that gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.
After the sizzling Acuña extended his hitting streak to seven games, Juan Soto delivered an RBI single.
Pete Alonso’s ensuing double brought in the second run against lefty Matthew Liberatore.
Senga escaped a threat in the second, when he struck out Nolan Gorman and retired Yohel Pozo for the third out, leaving runners stranded at second and third.
In the fifth, Brett Baty — who had entered the game at third base for Vientos at the beginning of the inning — nailed Thomas Saggese attempting to score from third on Pozo’s grounder.
Saggese’s second double of the game and Senga’s wild pitch gave the Cardinals a runner at third base with nobody out.
Senga walked Lars Nootbaar leading off the sixth and surrendered a single to Willson Contreras before getting Brendan Donovan to hit into a double play started by Acuña.
But with a chance to complete the inning, Senga hit Arenado, prompting manager Carlos Mendoza to summon Reed Garrett to record the final out.
After Garrett pitched a scoreless seventh, A.J. Minter walked the bases loaded in the eighth.
The lefty escaped by getting Alec Burleson to hit a grounder that Lindor fielded on the run behind second base before spinning and unloading his throw to first base.
Alonso launched a homer to left field in the ninth for the Mets’ final run.
The blast, which reached the second deck in left — traveling an estimated 443 feet — was Alonso’s sixth this season.
Edwin Díaz got the final three outs for his fifth save.