New York fans showed no mercy, booing loudly! Kodai Senga gave up 7 runs in 3.2 innings, enduring his sixth loss.

The New York Mets' pitching staff has been dealing with one setback after another. Japanese starter Kodai Senga took the mound today (24th) against the Cubs, but his command fell apart again. He managed just 3.2 innings, gave up 7 runs, and was knocked out early. The Mets fell 6-9, extending their losing streak to three games. To make matters worse, they've allowed 30 runs in those three contests.

The opening went well—Senga threw a string of heaters in the first inning, touching 98.9 mph (about 159 km/h), struck out two batters, and retired the side in order. But then the second inning was a complete turnaround: he walked Seiya Suzuki, gave up a hit to Ian Happ, then hit Matt Shaw with a pitch, loading the bases instantly.

Carson Kelly then drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the first run, Dansby Swanson added a run with a sacrifice fly, and finally Pete Crow-Armstrong crushed a three-run homer. The Cubs scored five runs in the inning, and the home crowd erupted in boos, showing no mercy at all.

Control has been Senga's biggest weakness this season. Before the game, he averaged 6.4 walks per nine innings, already among the worst in the league. Today, he ran into a Cubs lineup that leads the majors in drawing walks, and his flaws were fully exposed.

He threw 31 pitches in the second inning alone, making it impossible to go deep. In the fourth, he allowed a two-run homer to Swanson and was pulled. His final line: 3.2 innings, 98 pitches (only 58 strikes). Although he gave up just 3 hits and struck out 6, he issued 5 walks and hit a batter—6 free passes total—and all 7 runs were earned. His season ERA skyrocketed to 10.08.

Senga has been hampered by lumbar inflammation this year, landing on the injured list in late April and returning in mid-June. This was his second start since coming back, and he lost both. Combined, he's pitched only 7.2 innings, allowing 5 hits, 9 walks, and 11 runs. He still has zero wins this season and has now taken his sixth loss.

The Mets' lineup did make a push. In the second inning, Francisco Alvarez drove in two runs with a timely hit, then added a solo homer in the seventh. In the ninth, during a final rally, Bo Bichette smashed a two-run shot, and Carson Benge followed with an RBI single, but they couldn't complete the comeback.

In addition to the pitching staff's struggles, the team picked up an injury concern. Juan Soto left the game after the fourth inning due to back tightness, ending his streak of 13 consecutive games reaching base. However, he returned to the dugout to watch the rest of the game.