WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kodai Senga became the first Mets pitcher to threw seven innings this year, and New York beat the Athletics 8-0 on Sunday for its fourth straight series win.
Senga (2-1) allowed four hits, struck out four and walked two, throwing a season-high 79 pitches and lowering his ERA to 1.06. A.J. Minter and Max Kranick combined for one-hit relief in the Mets’ third shutout in 15 games; last year, they got their first shutout in game No. 92.
Luis Torrens had three hits and two RBIs, raising his average to .333. Mark Vientos, who entered hitting .120 with one RBI, had an run-scoring double and bases-loaded walk as the Mets won for the eighth time in 10 games.
Luis Severino (0-3), who left the Mets during the offseason to sign a $67 million, three-year contract with the A’s, allowed one run, four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Torrens had a two-out RBI single in the sixth. Lindor doubled in a run in the seventh and scored when Noah Murdock walked Vientos with the bases loaded, and Vientos and Torrens had RBI double in a four-run ninth that included Brett Baty driving in a run with his first big league triple.
Mets center fielder Jose Siri, who left Saturday’s game after fouling a ball off his left shin, has pain and could be headed to the injured list, according to manager Carlos Mendoza.
Key moment
Torrens put the Mets ahead when he drove a 97 mph Severino pitch to the opposite field in right.
Key stat
The Mets had been 0 for 27 with runners in scoring position until Torrens’ single in the sixth.
Up next
Mets: Begin a three-game series at Minnesota on Monday. RHP Clay Holmes (1-1, 4.30) is set to take the mound against RHP Joe Ryan (1-1, 2.65).
Athletics: LHP Jeffrey Springs (2-1, 4.20 ERA) starts Tuesday’s opener of a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox, who send RHP Sean Burke (1-2, 6.08) to the mound.
