Kodai Senga leaves with hamstring strain as Mets hang on for 4-3 win to sweep Nats

NEW YORK (AP) — Kodai Senga threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings Thursday before leaving with a hamstring strain in the New York Mets’ 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals that completed a three-game sweep.

Senga (7-3) allowed one hit and one walk before getting hurt while making a leaping grab of Pete Alonso’s high throw on CJ Abrams’ grounder between first and second. Senga touched the bag with his right foot on the way down but stumbled upon landing and reached for the back of his right leg. He hopped a couple of steps before tumbling to the ground.

After being surrounded by a trainer, his interpreter, manager Carlos Mendoza and teammates, Senga walked off the field under his own power. He lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.47, but will be placed on the injured list.

Jeff McNeil stayed hot with a three-run homer in the first for the Mets, who have won six straight to improve to an MLB-best 45-24. Brandon Nimmo homered off the right field foul pole in the fifth.

The Nationals snapped a 22-inning scoreless streak by rallying for three runs in the ninth, when Luis García Jr. and Josh Bell hit RBI singles and García scored on a wild pitch before Edwin Diaz got Jose Tena and Keibert Ruiz to ground out to earn his 15th save.

Washington’s Michael Soroka (3-4) gave up all four runs and struck out five in five innings.

Key moment

Díaz needed just two pitches to retire Tena and Ruiz following his run-scoring wild pitch.

Key stat

McNeil was 4-of-11 with five RBIs during the series and is batting .316 with four homers and 10 RBIs this month.

Up next

The Mets continue a six-game homestand Friday when RHP Clay Holmes (7-3, 2.95 ERA) starts for the Mets in the opener of a three-game series against RHP Taj Bradley (4-5, 4.58 ERA) and the Tampa Bay Rays. LHP Mitchell Parker (4-6, 4.44 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Nationals, who return home to face the Miami Marlins and RHP Edward Cabrera (2-2, 3.99 ERA).

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