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New York Mets’ Pete Alonso (20) hits a two-run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)
QUEENS — The Mets found the formula necessary to snag a few wins while playing out the remainder of their 2023 schedule on Monday night: Let Pete Alonso mash and Kodai Senga deal.
Alonso went 3-for-4 with two home runs and a career-best-tying six RBI while Senga pitched six strong innings in his first-ever MLB start in front of his children in a rain-elongated 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night at Citi Field.
“I just felt really good all day and felt extremely disciplined,” Alonso said. “I thought I did a great job executing… I just wanted to take good swings at pitches in my zone.”
Coming out for the start of the seventh inning, Senga was forced to wait for the grounds crew to fix up the mound amid the ceaseless downpour. But after taking a few warmup pitches and still dissatisfied with the conditions, Senga walked off the mound with his Mets teammates not too far behind as the umpires delayed the game. After a delay of 2:09, the game resumed.
“He wasn’t going to pitch,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said, citing the desire from the Cubs to keep playing as they’re in the thick of a playoff race. “We got through it, but I don’t think he felt comfortable on it, and that was good enough for me.”
Senga bounced back well from an Aug. 2 loss against the Kansas City Royals when he allowed three runs on a season-high 11 hits in 5.2 innings of work. The Cubs, who entered Monday night as one of the hottest offensive teams in the majors, were befuddled for most of the night by the Japanese righty, as they could only muster two runs on seven hits while striking out six times.
“I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of [my…
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