"My teammates bought me time": After struggling with possession, Chiga won the game without conceding a point

In Wednesday's series finale against the Sidewinders at Chase Field, Kodai Senga got off to a complete start with no good ball and became the first pitcher in Mets history to make five warranties out of a top-10 hitter since Zack Wheeler's rookie season 12 years ago.

But it doesn't matter. His teammates used solid defending to buy him time to adjust.

After the pitcher coach stepped on the board in the third inning, Chiga completed a gorgeous transformation, and finally completed the incredible six innings without conceding points. Juan Soto scored a double against the Sidewinders for the second time in six days to give the Mets a 7-1 away win and a series victory.

Chiga opened the first two innings with a guaranteed opener, but with catcher Luis Torrens blocking the base steal in the first inning, shortstop Francisco Lindor made a precise pass to the home plate in the second inning, and twice saved the day.

When the top two hitters are guaranteed in a row in three innings, the odds seem to indicate that luck is running out. Pitcher coach Jeremy Hefner and translator Hiro Fujiwara ascended the pitcher's mound as the infield gathered in full.

The conversation was immediate, with the game coming to an abrupt end after three goals, with Chiga resolving nine of the next 10 plays.

Soto rewarded the pitcher's tenacity with two home runs in six and eight innings, and the superstar was putting the slow start of his Mets career behind him with a May explosion.

"It's all about staying aggressive," Soto said of the 12th and 13th hits of the season, "and when I get the way I like it, I have to take my chances. "

Chiga completed six innings with 87 balls, and although he sent six runs to tie a career high, he was only hit by two hits and his defense rate dropped to 2.54. "I did struggle with possession in the first few games," he admits through an interpreter, "but my team-mates were so good at defending that it bought me time to adjust. "

The win brings the Mets to 7 wins in 10 games, just 2.5 games away from the National League wild card zone. "The resilience of this team is amazing," lamented coach Carlos Mendoza, "and when an ace pitcher is in trouble, there's always someone who comes up." "