The New York Mets received a long-awaited breakthrough from right-hander Christian Scott and a memorable milestone from catcher Hayden Senger on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Miami Marlins 6-1 to secure their third consecutive victory.
Scott finally earned his first major league win after a lengthy and frustrating wait, while Senger connected for his first career home run as the Mets continued their recent surge.
The afternoon got off to an unusual start for Scott, who was assessed a pitch clock violation before throwing his first pitch. The early hiccup proved inconsequential as the 26-year-old settled in and delivered one of the best performances of his young career.
Scott allowed just one run over five innings while striking out a career-high eight batters. The victory snapped a 15-start winless streak that dated back to his major league debut on May 4, 2024. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2024 and missing all of last season, Scott’s return to the win column was especially meaningful.
The drought was one of the longest to begin a career for a starting pitcher. Only former major leaguer Liam Hendriks endured a longer stretch, going winless in his first 17 starts from 2011-12.
Scott also benefited from outstanding defensive support from a pair of rookie outfielders. In the fourth inning, Carson Benge raced to the right-center field wall and made a spectacular running catch on a drive by Kyle Stowers. An inning later, A.J. Ewing made a nearly identical play in the same area of the ballpark, tracking down Otto Lopez’s deep fly ball to end the fifth inning and rob the Marlins of a potential run-scoring hit.
The Mets finally broke through offensively in the fourth against Miami starter Tyler Phillips. Mark Vientos snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run double, and Marcus Semien followed with an RBI single to give New York a 3-0 advantage.
Miami got on the board in the fifth when Liam Hicks delivered an RBI single. Hicks paced the Marlins’ offense with three hits, but the visitors were unable to generate sustained pressure against Scott and the Mets bullpen.
New York added to its lead in the sixth when Jared Young launched a leadoff home run. Senger then provided one of the game’s most memorable moments in the seventh inning, belting the first home run of his professional career. The catcher, who was drafted by the Mets in 2018 and spent years working his way through the organization, was greeted with an enthusiastic celebration from teammates after his solo blast.
Juan Soto added an RBI single later in the seventh to cap the scoring and extend the lead to 6-1.
After Scott exited, four Mets relievers combined to throw four scoreless innings, preserving the comfortable victory and helping New York move within one win of matching its season-best four-game winning streak.
Phillips took the loss for Miami despite a solid effort. Making just his second start of the season, the right-hander surrendered three runs over five innings while striking out two.
Behind Scott’s breakthrough performance, stellar rookie defense, and home runs from Young and Senger, the Mets continued their winning ways while handing the Marlins another disappointing defeat.
