The New York Mets came back in dramatic fashion against the elements and the Washington Nationals on Thursday night, scraping two runs together late after sitting idle for an hour and 37 minutes due to rain.

The offense came to life in the eighth inning after they were held scoreless by Josiah Gray for the first six. Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso hit back-to-back singles to set runners on the corners with one out, setting the stage for Daniel Vogelbach. The lefty DH singled as well, tying the game at 1-1.

After the Mets tied the game, DJ Stewart was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for New York. While their rally came to a halt after heavy rain and lightning, the weather couldn’t stop the Mets’ momentum, and Mark Canha gave the Mets a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly-out to right field once play resumed.

While the offense did its part at the end of the game, Kodai Senga‘s dominance on Thursday allowed for the Mets’ comeback. The 30-year-old was perfect through the first two innings, retiring the first six batters without a strikeout.

In total, Senga struck out five Nationals across six innings, allowing only one run via a sacrifice fly-out from Keibert Ruiz in the top of the sixth. In his last eight starts, Senga has a 2.47 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings.

Meanwhile, the Nationals also got a stellar performance from their starter Gray. The New Rochelle Native held the Mets scoreless through six innings, striking out four batters while stranding eight Mets on base. He handed his bullpen a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning, which they went on to relinquish.

David Peterson took over for Senga in the seventh and continued his successful bullpen stint. The left-hander didn’t walk any batters in two scoreless innings, keeping the Nationals off the board while lowering his ERA to 6.33.

Brooks Raley came in for the ninth inning with a 2-1 lead. He recorded his second save as a Met, working around a two-out walk to get the Mets back in the win column. Raley could be a candidate for the Mets’ closer job after it was announced David Robertson was traded after the game ended.

While the offense responded in the eighth, the Mets have struggled to score in their last two games. They only managed one run against the Yankees on Wednesday, and two against the Nationals on Thursday. Coming into Thursday, the Mets had scored the 19th most runs in MLB (448).

Player of the Game: Kodai Senga

Senga’s performance on Thursday kept the Mets in the game and allowed the offense to pull off their late-inning comeback. The right-hander wasn’t overpowering but held the Nationals to one run behind five strikeouts.

On Deck

Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Mets on Friday against the Nationals. The right-hander struggled mightily in his last start, allowing five runs in six innings against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Washington will counter with MacKenzie Gore, who has dominated the Mets in 2023. In two starts against New York, Gore has collected 13 strikeouts while allowing only one run.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM on Friday. The game will be televised on WPIX 11 and the radio call will be on WCBS 880.