Mets' Kodai Senga had 'realization' after giving up walk-off home run against White Sox

For the first time since being moved to a high-leverage relief role, former New York Mets starter Kodai Senga suffered a loss when Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters hit a 3-1 offering over the center field wall for a walk-off home run that dropped the last-place Mets to 59-72 on the season. 

Despite the defeat, Senga seemed to take a positive from his most recent ninth-inning appearance. 

Kodai Senga learned a harsh lesson about his new role

"It’s kind of like a moment of realization that I’m in a position where the game could end potentially in one pitch with one swing of the bat," Senga said via an interpreter, per Robert Sanchez of SNY. "Seeing the ball like that, it just kind of dawned on me that that’s the type of role that I’m playing right now." 

SNY's Danny Abriano noted that Senga compiled a 10.08 ERA over his first seven starts of the season. However, Baseball Reference shows that the right-hander gave up a single earned run and tallied nine strikeouts over his previous seven innings of work before Sunday's walk-off. 

Kodai Senga reflects on first-time experience 

Senga pitched the ninth inning of the Mets' 10-5 win at the White Sox on Saturday, and Sunday was the first time he made in-game appearances on consecutive days during his career. 

"I felt good [Sunday]," Senga explained. "I had no doubts being out on the mound, believed that I could do it, and it was partly my decision to go out there and say that I’m ready to pitch today." 

The Mets have Senga under team control for one more season at $15M, and it seems like the club is hoping he'll earn a spot on the 2027 roster as a full-time reliever. New York is off Monday, and it's unclear if Senga would be available to pitch in Tuesday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers (81-50).

"For him it’s good to get that under the belt and to have done that," Mets interim manager Andy Green said about Senga pitching in back-to-back games. "...I think overall, Senga’s got something done now that he hadn’t done, and that’s good for us."

It remains to be seen if Senga will be good for the Mets through the end of the regular season on Sept. 27.