Kodai Senga to Start 2024 NLCS G1 for Mets vs. Dodgers; Sean Manaea to Start G2

Adam WellsOctober 12, 2024

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Having three days off before the start of the National League Championship Series has allowed New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza to line up his pitching staff pretty much however he wanted.

Mendoza announced on Saturday that Kodai Senga will get the ball in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by Sean Manaea starting in Game 2.

It will be interesting to see how long Mendoza sticks with Senga. The right-hander only made one start in the regular season, on July 26, due to shoulder and calf injuries.

Senga returned in the postseason as the Game 1 starter against the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. He only went two innings, allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts and 31 pitches thrown.

If Mendoza follows the same plan against the Dodgers that he did in Senga’s appearance against the Phillies, David Peterson will likely be the first person out of the bullpen for multiple innings. The lefty worked around three walks to get through three scoreless innings in Game 1 of the NLDS.

Peterson also worked 2.1 scoreless frames out of the bullpen in the decisive Game 4 against the Phillies on Wednesday.

Manaea has been excellent in his two playoff starts this season. The 32-year-old has allowed just three earned runs with 10 strikeouts over 12 innings. He got the win in Game 3 against the Phillies after allowing just one run in seven innings.

The only time Manaea faced the Dodgers this season was on April 19. He went five innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts in the Mets’ 9-4 victory.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has yet to announce a Game 1 starter after his team clinched a berth in the NLCS on Friday night with a 2-0 win over the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the NLDS.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto started Friday’s game, meaning he might not be available until Game 3 if the Dodgers keep him on regular rest.

Jack Flaherty would seem to be the leader in the clubhouse since he hasn’t pitched since Game 2 against the Padres on Oct. 6. Walker Buehler would be the other option based on the starters used in the NLDS, but Roberts’ trust in him might not be very high after allowing six runs in the second inning to the Padres in Game 3 on Oct. 8.

The Mets and Dodgers will play Game 1 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium on Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET.