Philadelphia sports activities followers have a repute. They’re notoriously raucous in the direction of opposing gamers and followers and lean into what they view as their position. However New York Mets ace Kodai Senga, who will begin Sport 1 of the NLDS in opposition to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, isn’t involved.
Not solely is Senga unbothered by the possibly hostile environment, however, like Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly earlier than him, he’s trying ahead to it.
That smile tells you every thing you might want to know.
After all, a part of Senga’s smile is probably going as a result of mere undeniable fact that he’s pitching in any respect. He missed 4 months of the season as the results of a shoulder damage and, upon his return in July, suffered a calf damage in his first sport again and hasn’t performed since.
When the Mets introduced Senga can be their Sport 1 starter in opposition to the Phillies, it got here as a shock to most.
What higher solution to get again into the thick of issues than a playoff begin in opposition to the Phillies in Philadelphia? Though Senga needs to be cautious about what he needs for as a result of a riled up Philly crowd is hard to navigate.
