How Mets' Kodai Senga is building his case for Cy Young Award
NEW YORK — The Diamondbacks were well aware of the challenge that Kodai Senga presents each time he takes the mound.
They couldn't do anything about it on Thursday afternoon.
For the second time this season, Kodai Senga tormented the Diamondbacks on the way to six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and two hits and two walks allowed as the Mets grabbed an 11-1 victory and the series victory at Citi Field.
In two starts against the Diamondbacks this season, Senga combined to notch 22 strikeouts and allow one earned run in 14 innings between Thursday and a July 5 start at Chase Field.
"I think the feel for the (forkball) early, but he's got enough pitches to survive without it," Buck Showalter said of what helps Senga dominate from start to finish. "You can almost see hitters when he flips a curveball over for a strike early, it's almost like, 'Really? That too?'
"He changes the shape on one, you'll see it up there come up cutter and then it'll come up slider. He's got a talented hand."
With his latest dominant effort, Senga improved to 11-7 and chiseled his ERA to 2.95 and WHIP to 1.21. The 30-year-old rookie has 191 strikeouts and is looking to join Dwight Gooden as the only Mets rookie with more than 200 strikeouts in their first MLB season.
Kodai Senga's Cy Young case
It is unlikely that Senga will join Fernando Valenzuela as the only player to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards in the same season, but he is beginning to warrant some consideration for down-ballot votes in the award for the best pitcher in the NL.
With Thursday's quality start, Senga became one of only three pitchers in the National League with a sub-3.00 ERA, joining the Padres' Blake Snell and Cubs' Justin Steele, who lead Major League Baseball with marks of 2.43 and 2.49, respectively.
The only other pitcher in MLB with a better ERA is American League Cy Young frontrunner Gerrit Cole (2.79).
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"In terms of this year, especially in the beginning, I had extra days rest," Senga said. "I wasn't fully going in the rotation, but I was able to say healthy throughout the year because of that. I think that's what led to a good season so far."
Where Senga's case suffers is strikeouts; his 191 punch-outs are seventh in the National League. The Braves' Spencer Strider leads the league with 259 strikeouts and a sterling 1.08 WHIP.
Senga has only made 27 starts while tossing 155.1 innings as the Mets look to limit his workload in his first season in the U.S. Senga's ghost forkball remains one of the nastiest pitches in MLB, inducing a 60.1 whiff percentage.
Since the All-Star break, Senga has been remarkably consistent. He's recorded quality starts in 10 out of his 12 outings, coming one out shy in Kansas City and having another start cut short due to rain in Boston.
"I don't have enough education about the rest. I try to be fair to other people, but he's got to be someone that's in the discussion," Showalter said of Senga's candidacy for both awards. " A lot of those things, it's kind of how you end up in the last two or three starts. He's certainly doing his part."
Another dominant outing
Senga's latest start added another gem to the inventory for the rookie.
It was Senga's fifth start this season with double-digit strikeouts and third in his last four with 10 or more. And he bounced back after issuing four walks and four hits in an up-and-down outing last time out in Minnesota.
The only baserunner that Senga allowed through the opening five innings was a two-out single to former Met Tommy Pham in the top of the first inning. Then, Senga recorded 13 straight outs — nine by way of strikeout and the other four sailing out to Brandon Nimmo in center field.
Seventeen of Senga's 18 outs were recorded as strikeouts or flyouts to center field.
"Just getting back into counts even if I fall behind," Senga said of his success striking out batters lately. "I know exactly what I need to do to get each hitter out. Inside my head, it's very clear what I need to do, so I think that's why I was able to success."
Showalter gave Senga the reins to work through his only traffic in the top of the sixth inning. The right-hander gave up a leadoff single to Emmanuel Rivera and issued a pair of two-out walks, but with his pitch count swelling to 103, Senga was able to get Christian Walker to fly out to center field.
"I think (Francisco Alvarez) did a really good job of leading me to this point and through the sixth inning, but to be honest, I wanted to go to the seventh and get through the seventh. I think that will continue my season into next year. I think that will help me develop a lot."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Kodai Senga building Cy Young Award case to close NY Mets season
