Senga’s first start goes well, but Mets waste it
The Mets fell to 3-2 on the season with a pretty dull loss.
Mar 31, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches against St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Kodai Senga’s first start of the season went well, but the Mets’ lineup was lifeless as the team lost 3-0 to the lowly Cardinals tonight in St. Louis. It’s hard to come out of seeing your team get shut out by an unimpressive cast of pitchers, but let’s start with the positive.
Senga continued to hit the high-90s with his fastball, and he struck out nine and walked three in six innings of work. Officially, he gave up two earned runs, but even those were not entirely his fault. Luis Robert Jr.
came to the Mets as a sure-thing great defender in center field who’s struggled to stay healthy and was coming off back-to-back disappointing years at the plate. He’s been a hot hitter to start his Mets tenure, but the noteworthy defense in center was notably missing in the bottom of the third tonight. Victor Scott II led off the inning with a well-struck ball to center, but it was one that a good defender should’ve caught.