Mets scratch Freddy Peralta from Friday start

Peralta gave up three hits, walked none and struck out seven. He improved to 7-11 on the season with the win. Peralta allowed a solo home run in the first inning before settling in and putting up a quality start. He has a 4.62 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings over six starts since coming to the Rays at the trade deadline. Peralta has a 4.96 ERA this year. He’s lined up to face the Braves on the road next week.

Senga got the call to protect a one-run lead in the final frame and made things interesting by issuing a leadoff walk to Jonny DeLuca. He bounced back by getting Richie Palacious to ground into a fielder’s choice before coaxing a fly out from Taylor Walls and striking out Yandy Díaz to end it. It was a nice bounce-back for Senga after giving up a walk-off homer to the White Sox in his previous save chance last weekend.

Peralta allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out four. He posted a 62 percent strike rate with a 30 percent CSW and a 12 percent swinging strike rate on the day. This was easily his best performance as a member of the Rays, and the first time he’s allowed no runs in a start since June 25th. Actually, it’s only the third time he’s allowed no runs in a start all season. As we expected, the Rays continue to have Peralta lean on his changeup more, even to righties, and he had a 31 percent swinging strike rate on the pitch on Tuesday. To righties, he located the pitch far better in the zone, but he focused on chases outside of the zone against lefties. He’ll look to keep it going with a revenge game of sorts against the Mets on Wednesday; although, it’s unclear who would want revenge on whom.

This leaves Senga 0-9 on the season. This was the first time Senga had pitched on back-to-back days since being moved to the pen (and, obviously, also before that.) His velocity was down a tad on his nine pitches, the last of which was a fastball hit for a walkoff homer by Tristan Peters. It’s a bad result, but he still hasn’t blown a save in four tries and he should keep closing for the Mets for now.

Peralta got off to a bit of a rough start in this one. After allowing back-to-back hits to lead off the inning, one of which was an RBI single by Pete Alonso to score Jackson Holliday from second, he then walked Gunnar Henderson to put runners on first and second with no outs. He was fortunate enough to get out of the inning thanks to a double play ball by Samuel Basallo, but in the top of the second inning he would surrender a leadoff homer to Dylan Beavers to cut the Rays’ lead to 3-2. Peralta wouldn’t allow a run over the next two innings, but a sacrifice fly by Jackson Holliday in the fifth inning followed by a two-run homer by Pete Alonso put the O’s back on top 5-3. Peralta wouldn’t allow another run over his last two innings of work, but the Orioles got the best of him after managing just two runs against him when they faced off last week. Peralta’s next start is set for Wednesday on the road against the Tigers.

Senga got into big trouble in the ninth, allowing three straight to reach with one out, but the Padres then made the baffling decision to have Austin Hays bat for Sung-Mun Song, and Hays, who last collected a hit against a right-hander on May 1, grounded into game-ending double play. The run Senga allowed was the first he’s given up in six appearances this month.

Kodai Senga was given the night off after working two of the previous three days. Duarte, on the other hand, was allowed to make it three out of four days. He should rest Tuesday, with Senga likely back available for the ninth.

Senga now has all three of the Mets’ saves since August 10. Devin Williams is on the IL with a strained shoulder, and his absence isn’t expected to be long. It remains to be seen whether Senga sticks in the ninth once Williams returns. For now, the veteran right-hander is having success, which hasn’t always been the case in recent years. His only appearances since Williams went down have come in save situations.

Peralta also walked three batters in the contest while recording a pair of strikeouts. He hadn’t allowed a run when he was pulled with two men on and two outs in the fifth inning, only to watch Garrett Cleavinger come on to allow a pair of hits and both of those runners to score. Peralta got 13 whiffs on 76 pitches on the afternoon, registering a CSW of 24 percent. He’ll look to improve upon his disappointing 5.27 ERA and 1.48 WHIP when he squares off against these same Orioles in Baltimore on Friday.

Senga is the Mets closer right now. This is the second lead he was tasked to protect this week and he’s secured both opportunities. This one got a bit hairy as he let the tying run come to the plate in a three-run game. Still, he got out of it with a nasty ghost fork and looks like a relatively trustworthy ninth inning option moving forward.