NEW YORK, May 26 (KYODO/APP): Kodai Senga surrendered a leadoff home run to superstar countryman Shohei Ohtani before steadying the ship and earning his fifth win as the New York Mets saw off the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 on Sunday.
Ohtani tied for the Major League Baseball lead with his 18th home run when he launched Senga’s 1-0 fastball 411 feet to the upper deck beyond right center field in the opening frame at Citi Field.
Senga (5-3) was soon able to work with a lead, however, thanks to Pete Alonso’s two-run homer with two out in the bottom of the inning.
The Japanese right-hander left the game after 5-1/3 innings in which he struck out five while scattering five hits and four walks.
The Mets won two of three in their series against the World Series champion Dodgers.
At Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, Chicago Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki crushed his 14th home run, a tie-breaking three-run blast, in an 11-8 comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Suzuki capped off a 3-for-4 outing when he broke an 8-8 deadlock in the top of the eighth with his big fly to left field off right-hander Luis Mey, taking his RBI total to 49 this season.