Senga's comeback to continue with start for Mets in Game 1 of NLCS vs Dodgers

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets pitcher Kodai Senga will start Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against Jack Flaherty and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, continuing his comeback from injuries that have limited him to two starts this year.

New York manager Carlos Mendoza said “everybody should be available and ready to go” in his bullpen.

“So it’s Senga and then we’ll see after that," he said Saturday before the Mets held a light workout at Citi Field prior to leaving for Los Angeles.

Flaherty joined the Dodgers from Detroit at the July 30 trade deadline. The right-hander struggled in Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, giving up four earned runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Senga returned from a long layoff in the Division Series, appearing on a major league mound for the first time since late July. He started Game 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies on Oct. 5 and gave up one run over two innings in the Mets’ 6-2 win.

Senga missed the first 102 games this season due to a right shoulder capsule strain and lasted 5 1/3 innings in his lone regular-season start July 26, when he limited the Atlanta Braves to two runs before straining his left calf.

Mendoza said the next day that if the Mets "get to see (Senga) pitch again this year, that means we’re in a good spot.” The 31-year-old right-hander made just one brief minor league rehab appearance before returning in Philadelphia.

“There’s not a number I have in mind,” Senga said through an interpreter when asked about his potential pitch limit Saturday. “I’m going until they take the ball away from me and I’m going to go at 100% until then.”

Going with Senga in Game 1 — for however long — allows the Mets to maximize rest for the remainder of their rotation at this point.

Sean Manaea, who will start Game 2 on Monday at Dodger Stadium on five days' rest, has thrown a career-high 193 2/3 innings while Luis Severino has tossed 194 innings, his most since 2018. David Peterson threw a career-high 121 regular-season innings and has emerged as a pivotal bullpen piece with 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the playoffs.

“From the beginning, we wanted to put our guys in what we felt was the best position to have success considering where they’re at physically,” Mendoza said. “For Senga, we wanted to keep it as close as possible to his routine. And then with some of the other guys, like I said, it’s because of where they’re at physically and who will benefit from an extra day.”

Counting the appearance against the Phillies, Senga has made 28 of his 31 big league starts on at least five days of rest.

Senga might not be the only unexpected contributor for the Cinderella Mets in the NLCS. Jeff McNeil, whose regular season ended Sept. 6 because of a broken right wrist sustained when he was hit by a pitch, went 1 for 4 with a walk while playing second base Friday night for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League.

Mendoza said McNeil was scheduled to play right field Saturday for Scottsdale and there was “a good chance he’ll be on the roster” for the NLCS as long as he remains healthy.

“Kind of hit me, I think it was yesterday, when we were going through a lot of these conversations and I went back to when I announced that Senga was done for the regular season and then when Jeff gets hit and we get the results, it’s broke and he’s done,” Mendoza said. “And here we were yesterday, having those conversations. It was a good feeling — pretty incredible. I’m just glad that they are healthy now.”

A previous version of this story corrected the number of big league starts Senga has made in his career.

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New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga walks to the dugout during the second inning of Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga shags balls in the outfield before Game 3 of the National League baseball playoff series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dylan Sampson scored his third touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run in overtime to give No. 8 Tennessee a 23-17 victory over Florida on Saturday night.

The Volunteers (5-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) went to overtime for only the second time. The first was in 1998 when they won the national title.

Trey Smack missed a 47-yard field goal try for Florida (3-3, 1-2) on the first overtime possession.

“Once (Florida) missed the field goal, I knew we would win,” Sampson said.

“(After the miss), we were going to run the football and be sound in doing it,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. “(Sampson) always has great vision, great pace. He's always been good running between the tackles.”

The Gators tied it with 29 seconds left on DJ Lagway's 27-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike. After lining up for a 2-point conversion, Tennessee called a timeout and Florida kicked the extra point.

Sampson, who rushed for 112 yards, ran 23 yards for a go-ahead, fourth-quarter touchdown. The touchdown was set up by a defensive stand that forced the Gators to punt from their end zone.

“(The defense) is confident,” Heupel said. “They don't just think (something good) is going to happen. They have to make it happen.”

Florida jumped out to a 10-0 lead, with Graham Mertz hitting Arlis Boardingham with a 13-yard scoring pass midway through the third quarter. On the play, Mertz's foot caught in the turf and he sustained a left leg injury.

“The tale of the tape is our missed opportunities in the first half,” Florida coach Billy Napier said.

The Gators led 3-0 at the half, but fumbled on the Tennessee 1 and had an illegal substitution penalty on a field goal attempt at the end of the second quarter that had a 10-second run-off negate the points.

“We had many opportunities to score points,” Napier said.

Sampson then had a 6-yard scoring, and Lagway, who took over for Mertz, threw an interception that set up Max Gilbert's tying, 35-yard field goal.

THE TAKEAWAY

Florida: With Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss still on the schedule, the Gators will have to get things in order in a hurry. Bright glimmers from wins over Mississippi State and UCF were parlayed into a gritty performance against the Vols.

Tennessee: A lot of the problems that cropped up in the loss to Arkansas were evident again. With Alabama visiting next week, the Vols have a long way to go to make things right. If Tennessee is going to be a playoff contender the rest of the season, it needs to show consistency in its performance.

UP NEXT

Florida: Hosts Kentucky on Saturday.

Tennessee: Hosts Alabama on Saturday.

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Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson (6) is tackled by Florida linebacker Grayson Howard (10) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) tries to escape the grasp of Florida edge Kamran James (24) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)