LOS ANGELES -- With each successive ball outside the strike zone, a sold-out Dodger Stadium crowd grew louder, eager to throw Kodai Senga off his game. In National League Championship Series Game 1, Senga may not have needed the help.

Making just his third outing of the year in one of the Mets’ most important games in recent memory, Senga walked four batters, threw a wild pitch, committed a pitch clock violation, served up two hits and allowed the first three runs in a 9-0 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday.

The Mets had chosen Senga to start Game 1 for them over other well-rested options, including their best second-half pitcher, Sean Manaea. They did so because of his pedigree, yes, but also because they liked the way Senga looked in a two-inning sample against the Phillies during the NL Division Series. They did so without much other evidence that Senga could still resemble the pitcher who had produced a 2.98 ERA over 29 starts as a rookie in 2023. And they did so without a well-strung safety net behind him.

In removing Senga after only four outs, the Mets also burned David Peterson, who had recently emerged as their top late-game weapon against left-handed hitters. Peterson wound up throwing 40 pitches, which will render him unavailable at least for Game 2. But the relatively heavy workload could set Peterson up to replace Senga as the Mets’ Game 5 starter, should they decide to go that route. And should they render a Game 5 necessary.

Although the Mets only trail this best-of-seven series, 1-0, they played one of their sloppiest games in recent memory to drop Game 1. It took their hitters until the fifth inning to record a hit off Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty. Moments after they did, Jesse Winker made multiple baserunning mistakes on the same play to squelch that rally.

Senga had missed all but one start during the regular season due to shoulder, triceps and calf injuries.