Senga placed the Mets in a fast 2-0 hole on Kyle Stowers’ two-run homer in the first inning. Xavier Edwards doubled leading off the game for the Marlins before Senga left a 93-mph four-seamer over the middle of the plate for Stowers, who cleared the fence in right-center.

Throughout last season, as Kodai Senga struggled with injuries, seemingly returned to health and continued to sit out as he tried to sort out his mechanics, Mets officials insisted: Nobody knows Senga better than Senga knows himself.