Mets top Nationals 4-3 on June 12 behind Jeff McNeil's homer, but the sweep is bittersweet as ace Kodai Senga exits with a concerning hamstring injury.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was the kind of win that should have been pure celebration. A 4-3 victory over the Nationals, a tidy three-game sweep at Citi Field, and another notch in the belt for a team rolling at 44-24. But as the final out was recorded, the cheers were mixed with a palpable sense of anxiety. The Mets won the game, but they may have lost their ace, Kodai Senga, who exited in the fifth inning with a hamstring strain, leaving a massive question mark hanging over an otherwise successful day.
4.2 innings, 6 strikeouts, and one sudden exit that has all of Queens holding its breath.
Kodai Senga was doing what he does best. Through 4.2 innings, he was electric, fanning six Nationals and keeping them largely off balance. But after delivering a pitch in the top of the fifth, Senga signaled to the dugout. A hamstring strain forced an early exit, leaving the Mets and their fans to anxiously await further evaluation. An extended absence for the 'Ghost Fork' specialist would be a significant blow to a rotation that has leaned heavily on him. The team has yet to disclose the severity, but the sight of your top pitcher leaving a game is never what you want to see.
While the Senga news dominated the mood, the offense provided just enough thunder to secure the win. With the game knotted at one in the fourth, Jeff McNeil stepped up and blasted a go-ahead, three-run homer—his 7th of the year—to give the Mets a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Brandon Nimmo later added a crucial insurance run with a solo shot, his 13th. In a game decided by one run, those two swings were everything. Meanwhile, the Polar Bear kept feasting, as Pete Alonso quietly extended his hitting streak to eight games, continuing his torrid pace.
After Senga's departure, the bullpen was tasked with navigating the final 4.1 innings. They bent but didn't break, setting the stage for the trumpets in the ninth. Edwin Díaz entered to protect a one-run lead and was simply flawless. He needed just a handful of pitches to retire the side in order, striking out one and slamming the door for his 15th save of the season. In a moment of high anxiety, Díaz was a picture of calm and dominance, a much-needed stabilizer for a shaken team.
So the Mets head into their next series on a high from the sweep but with a heavy heart waiting on the Senga diagnosis. This win showcased the team's formula: timely power, a resilient bullpen, and the star power of players like Alonso. But the coming days will be defined by the medical report. An injury to Senga could accelerate the front office's trade deadline plans, forcing them to dip into a newly strengthened farm system sooner than anticipated. For now, it's a win, but it's a win with an asterisk.
