NEW YORK — Kodai Senga turned in his most commanding performance of the 2026 season on Monday evening at Citi Field, shutting out the Washington Nationals over seven innings as the New York Mets claimed a 4-0 victory in their series opener. Senga, who has battled durability concerns over the past two seasons, mixed his signature ghost forkball with a sharp four-seam fastball to strike out nine and walk just one, keeping Washington's lineup off-balance from the first pitch to the last.

The Mets offense provided early support when Francisco Lindor launched a two-run homer to left-center in the second inning off Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore, who has been inconsistent this spring. Pete Alonso added an RBI double in the fifth, and a sacrifice fly from Mark Vientos made it 4-0 before Senga returned to the mound for the seventh. The bullpen handled the final two innings without incident, with Edwin Díaz recording his 14th save of the year.

The victory pushed the Mets to within two games of the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who were idle on Monday. New York has won five of its last seven and appears to be building momentum heading into a stretch of home games. Manager Carlos Mendoza praised Senga's ability to trust his secondary pitches, noting that the right-hander's command was the best it has looked since returning from shoulder surgery.

For Washington, the loss extended a difficult stretch that has seen the Nationals drop eight of their last eleven games. Gore allowed four runs on six hits over five innings, and manager Dave Martinez acknowledged afterward that the club is still searching for consistency from its starting rotation as younger arms continue to develop. The Nationals return to action Tuesday as the two teams play the second game of their three-game set at Citi Field.