The New York Mets open the National League Division Series on Saturday afternoon against the rival Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets advanced to the NLDS after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in three games during the Wild Card Round.
The Phillies earned a bye in the first round thanks to winning the National League East and having a better record than Milwaukee, which won the National League Central.
In Game 1, Mets pitcher Kodai Senga will start despite only getting one start during the regular season. After a stellar rookie season in 2023, Senga was injured during spring training. He came back first and then injured his leg. He was activated from the injured list for this series.
With the start, Senga is making a unique history in baseball, according to Sarah Lange of MLB.com:
Longest gap between a pitcher’s last start and the start of his first postseason game:
05/23/2024 – 10/1/2024 AJ Smith Schover: 131
07/26/2024 – 05/10/2024 Kodai Senja: 71
09/07/1910 – 10/17/1910 Head Bending: 40
09/11/2012 – 10/7/2012 Jason Hamel: 26
h/r MLBNetwork Research Team
Longest gap between a pitcher’s last start and the start of his first postseason game:
05/23/2024 – 10/1/2024 AJ Smith Schover: 131
07/26/2024 – 05/10/2024 Kodai Senja: 71
09/07/1910 – 10/17/1910 Head Bending: 40
09/11/2012 – 10/7/2012 Jason Hamel: 26
free @MLBNetwork Search team
– Sarah Lang (@SlangsOnSports) October 5, 2024
Senga came to the Mets a season ago after a long career in Japan and made immediate gains. The 31-year-old made 29 appearances and was named a National League All-Star. He finished 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA, finishing second in National League Rookie of the Year voting and seventh in the Cy Young race.
The Mets and Phillies will play again on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch coming at 4:08 PM ET. The first two games of the series will be played at Citizens Bank Park.
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