Andy Green on Christian Scott and Kodai Senga's performances in Mets loss to Braves
Interim Mets manager Andy Green thought starter Christian Scott fell behind in some counts that saw the Braves follow up with the long ball. Scott was not happy with the command of his secondary pitches and needs to "be better." Green was very encouraged by Kodai Senga's 2.2 innings of relief and Senga himself talked about having more "fun" out on the mound regardless of when he's called upon.
Video Transcript
Andy, what for you is the difference in Christian Scott innings one and four versus two and three?
Yeah, ahead in the count, filling up the strike zone.
he's his best when he's attacking, and he's certainly trying to do that.
In i- innings two and three, got behind Dubn, started that inning, and then Harris jumped him in the second.
think it was just scattered command for a couple innings.
It was good to see him dial it back in in the fourth.
I understand he's, you know, still working his way back from the IL and, and obviously had Tommy John surgery.
But at what point do you guys see, if you see a point, where he's gonna start to push past that, like, low 80s pitch count?
Yeah, I think he probably had a little bit more in the tank to get to today if we wanted that.
He's also coming back on four days' rest next time around.
He hasn't done that very often, so given the context of the game, it fit right for Minter there.
We had a rested bullpen.
There was no reason to try to push him up north of 90. just thinking about his future and the game context at the same time.
What have you thought about Koda Senga in that sort of middle relief role?
He's been great.
I think he's done the ball really, really well.
I've seen, like, when he comes in that first inning, I think first couple innings today, his electric fastball, the fork ball really plays.
he's been really, really good.
I know he's given up a couple of home runs, but honestly, like, I, I, I think you have to like the look of it.
it can The way it looks, it can pitch a leverage one inning.
I think he's got that inning as well if it, if it, if the need arises.
he gave us three strong innings today.
back to Senga for a minute.
I mean, given his success with the fastball and the fork ball, is there a sort of temptation to keep him in that shorter middle relief role so he can just essentially ride those two pitches a little bit more?
Yeah, I, I think those pitches play in a starting capacity really, really well as well.
occasionally you have to dip into something else.
I, I, I When I watch him, those two pitches are, like, when you've got two pitches that are better than average and way better than average, y- you don't necessarily need a lot more.
A- and so I think in that role he's done well.
I think it also plays in the rotation, too.
Christian, how would you kind of break down the difference between those first and fourth innings and the second and third?
just didn't do a good job landing my off-speed, in those two innings.
got my pitch count up.
Just wasn't good enough, honestly, at the end of the day.
And, yeah, just gotta do a better job attacking the zone early.
thought they put me in some long at-bats there in those innings, and, yeah, really well executed by them.
What were you able to do to lock it back in there in the fourth?
Just established my fastball, and the strike zone and kinda go for the off-speed more as put away.
try to get ahead more with the off-speed, but, didn't do a good job locating in zone, obviously, so, something to learn from for sure.
But, you know, they ambushed two fastballs in, in hitter's counts.
you know, good hitters as well, so tip the cap to them for that for sure, but yeah, at the end of the day, just gotta get ahead.
Koda, these last two outings, just what have you been most pleased with?
Just a bigger ratio of pitches I'm able to just look at the catcher's mitt and throw it as hard as I can.
So how do you feel about the relief role?
The preparation's different.
There isn't much rhythm going into it, but the job is still the same.
I go out there, try to do my best, try to put up zeros, try to, contribute to a win.
Do you pitch differently out of the pen?
Are you simplifying what you throw in the mix coming out of the bullpen?
One thing that is different is, that is more simple is, the data aspect.
I'm not going into each lineup, each, start thinking about what, what pitches I can throw, what locations I can throw to each hitter, versus now being a reliever.
I'm just given the, data that the team provides and going out there and pitching.
So that, that's different for sure.
When you're doing Oh, I'm sorry.
When you're doing something like that, are you able to pitch a little bit freer?
Just feeling like, I wanna go out there and have fun.
I'm here to play baseball and to have fun.
previously because of r- the results weren't there, part of me was thinking, "Oh, I need to, I wanna finish this off, this guy off.
I wanna finish with that guy.
I wanna finish with this pitch, this location."
but now I just wanna go out there and have fun.
