Kodai Senga has been showing some positives since the Mets moved him into a bullpen role, but the results weren’t there again in his latest appearance Saturday afternoon.
Senga entered in relief of Sean Manaea after the left-hander ran out of steam trying to dance his way out of a two out jam in the bottom of the fifth.
He lost a battle with the first batter he faced, walking him on eight pitches to load the bases, but then settled down and struck out Derek Hill with a forkball to end the threat.
Things didn’t go as well for the righty in the sixth, though.
The Phillies immediately put a man in scoring position with a Bryson Stott triple, then back-to-back walks loaded the bases again before Bryce Harper ripped a two-run single to right.
Senga retired the next three batters to escape without further damage, then he allowed a single leading off the seventh before a rain delay brought his day to an end.
While the velocity was there for him coming on in relief he wasn’t exactly effective, allowing two runs on three hits and as many walks across just 1.2 innings of work.
“His stuff is good, the fastball was up to 99,” interim manager Andy Green said. “But there’s better outcomes needed — he’s aware of that, he wants that, and we want that for him.”
Senga has allowed multiple runs in all but two of his 12 outings on the season, and his only clean appearance came his last time out against the Red Sox.
His ERA now sits at 8.85 to go along with a 1.84 WHIP.
One has to figure the leash is only getting shorter with Senga’s ineffectiveness now continuing in relief.
