No K's? No problem -- Senzatela stymies Mets
Dahl stays red-hot with 2-run blast, Murphy socks solo HR to cap win
NEW YORK -- Right-hander Antonio Senzatela had one of his best outings of the season as he held the Mets to four hits as the Rockies defeated the Mets, 5-1, at Citi Field on Friday night.
Senzatela needed his defense to do the work for him because he didn’t strike out a batter in the game.
“All I have on my mind is to get people out. I did it tonight,” Senzatela said. “I didn’t get a strikeout, but I got a quality start for my team. I gave the team a chance to win.”
Even more impressive, Senzatela topped the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, Jacob deGrom, who pitched six innings, allowed two runs and struck out 10 batters. The victory was not a fluke for Senzatela. In his last three starts, Senzatela has allowed four runs in 18 innings.
“Before the game … when I was warming up, on the other side was deGrom,” Senzatela said. “He threw a good game. He is a good pitcher. I was given a chance to win a ballgame and I did it.”
Senzatela was able to get 11 outs on the ground in the contest. He was in serious trouble only twice in the game, dancing around baserunners in the fourth and sixth innings.
In the fourth, the Mets had runners on first and third with one out after Trevor Story and Brendan Rodgers couldn’t turn a double play off the bat of Wilson Ramos. But Senzatela was able to get out of the jam, when Todd Frazier popped up to first baseman Daniel Murphy and Amed Rosario lined out to Story to get out of the inning.
Two innings later, Senzatela allowed a one-out homer to Michael Conforto, a solo shot. Dominic Smith followed with a single, but the threat came to an end when Ramos hit into a double play.
Manager Bud Black was not surprised to see Senzatela get out of trouble.
“There is a composure element that we are seeing, and I think there’s an element where some pitches have to be made or certain at-bats that can swing the inning [around]. He is getting those outs. That’s critical,” Black said.
Senzatela had his share of run support. By the time he left the game, the Rockies were up, 2-1. Colorado would add to the lead against righty Drew Gagnon in the eighth inning, when David Dahl hit a two-run homer and Murphy hit a solo shot.
Tensions boiled over later in the inning after Gagnon hit Ian Desmond in the back with a pitch, prompting both benches and bullpens to empty.
“I don't think it's a great look,” Murphy said. “The first one was up and in. I think it was a changeup and then Desmond got one in the middle of the back. I will say, there are a lot of guys on [the Mets] that I trust in this industry, that I value their opinion and they were all saying they didn't think it was on purpose. I don't think it's a great look.”
Desmond has moved on from the incident.
“I don't think there was any jawing,” Desmond said. “[Gagnon] said it wasn't on purpose. At that point I put my head down and started walking up the line. There wasn't really anything major there. He said it wasn't on purpose. .... I said, ‘What are you doing?’ He threw two terrible pitches back to back [for home runs]. Whether it was on purpose or not, those were terrible pitches. It’s water under the bridge."