Mets name surprising pitcher as Game 1 starter after it was assumed he would miss the rest of the season

The magic just keeps going for the New York Mets.

Less than 24 hours after one of the most unlikely wins in team history, they receive a huge boost heading into the next round.

New York announced Friday that its star Kodai Senga, who has started just once this season, will start Monday's Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

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Kodai Senga, #34 of the New York Mets, delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins in the first inning of the game at LoanDepot Park on April 2, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

After posting a 2.98 ERA in 2023, Senga began the season on the injured list due to a posterior shoulder capsule strain in his throwing shoulder that kept him out the entire first half. The 31-year-old returned on July 26 but suffered a strained calf in the sixth inning of that contest.

At the time, however, coach Carlos Mendoza was careful not to rule out Senga for the postseason.

“If we see him pitching, that means we're in a good position, right?” Mendoza said.

Well, they certainly are after they pulled off a miraculous victory on Thursday night.

Kodai Senga, #34 of the New York Mets, throws during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on July 26, 2024 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Braves 8-4. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

METS PLAY BROADCASTER'S VIRAL CALL OF PETE ALONSO'S HOME RUN ON THE PLANE AND GIVE HIM STANDING OVATIONS

Trailing 2-0 early in the ninth with two outs to go, Pete Alonso fired a pitch to the opposite field that crawled over the right field wall, giving New York a 3-2 lead going into the dugout and on caused chaos on the basepaths. They got another insurance run and held on for a 4-2 win to sweep the wild card series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

According to OPTA Stats, Alonso's shot was the first in MLB history by a player when his team was trailing in the 9th inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game.

The miraculous victory was déjà vu for the Mets. It came just three days after they rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the eighth game and 7-6 in the ninth against the Atlanta Braves to clinch a postseason berth in the first game of a doubleheader.

Kodai Senga, #34 of the New York Mets, delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins in the second inning of the game at LoanDepot Park on April 2, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

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Senga will face former Met Zack Wheeler in Philadelphia on Saturday at 4:08 p.m.

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