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After throwing two innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS last Saturday, Mets pitcher Kodai Senga is looking forward to his second postseason start on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS.
Manager Carlos Mendoza announced the decision to start Senga on Saturday morning, saying he expects the right-hander to throw at least three innings. When asked how deep into the game he thinks he can pitch, Senga expressed the confidence he has in himself.
“There’s not a number I have in mind. I’m going until they take the ball away from me and I’m going at it 100 percent until then,” Senga said through his translator.
It will be the biggest start of Senga’s MLB career so far, as he’s set to face off against Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and the rest of the Dodgers star-studded lineup, but he’s not scared of the challenge.
“Not exclusively the Dodgers, but good hitters in general around the league, if you miss, they’re going to hit you,” Senga said. “Just trying to control what I can control and do my best against each hitter.”
He added about the Dodgers: “A lot of great hitters in the lineup and if I leave a ball over the plate, they’re probably going to hammer it. Like I said earlier, that goes for a lot of hitters around the league. I’m repeating myself, but I just want to approach each hitter one pitch at a time.”
Fans around the world will be looking forward to the matchup between Senga and Ohtani, but the Mets starter isn’t going to give away his plan for pitching to the slugger.
“I don’t think any pitcher would reveal how we’re going to approach an opposing hitter at this point,” he said.
Senga pitched in just one regular season game this year before getting hurt, and feels some pressure to step up for the Mets and help the team win games moving forward.
“More so than being glad or happy, there’s definitely tension inside myself compared to the other pitchers that have fought through the entire year,” Senga said. “I haven’t been able to do that. I really need to be able to continue to contribute and do my job in the following games.”
When Mendoza spoke earlier on Saturday, he briefly discussed the team’s loose plan of having Senga pitch the potential NLCS Game 5 on Friday, Oct. 18 as long as he feels good. That would mean he’d pitch on the fifth day, instead of the usual sixth day. The amount of rest doesn’t seem to phase Senga, who said he’s “ready” to help the Mets win whenever he’s asked to take the mound.
“I’m ready for anything,” Senga said. “I don’t anticipate getting to 100 pitches tomorrow. And how many days I have in between it, it doesn’t matter at this point, we need to win the game. When they call on me, I’m ready.”
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