ARLINGTON, Texas — The boos directed at Marcus Semien in Wednesday’s eighth inning were music to the Mets’ ears.
Semien’s shot to left field had just cleared the fence to put his team ahead, and the fans at Globe Life Field let him know he had betrayed them in the moment.
This certainly wasn’t Pete Alonso returning to Citi Field.
That blast, coupled with Brett Baty’s grand slam an inning later, fueled the Mets’ 7-2 victory over the Rangers that further wounded a team fighting for the AL West title.
The Mets will try to complete the series sweep Thursday.
Semien, traded by the Rangers last offseason for Brandon Nimmo, was just one of the Mets’ big performers on this night. Another was Nolan McLean, who concluded his rookie year with an outing indicative of his season.
The right-hander allowed two earned runs on three hits over seven innings with five strikeouts, completing his season with a 3.16 ERA. Overall, he pitched 179 ²/₃ innings and struck out 194.
Juan Soto’s two-run homer in the third inning gave the Mets a 2-0 lead. Soto’s homer was his 27th this season.
Baty, pinch hitting, homered in the ninth for his second grand slam this season.
Kodai Senga’s role will be among the uncertainties facing the Mets heading to the offseason.
The right-hander moved into the closer’s spot with Devin Williams’ injured list stint late this season and was largely successful. But Williams’ return to the bullpen this week — he will be the team’s closer heading into spring training — left manager Andy Green on Wednesday to answer questions about where Senga will fit in 2027, when he will be entering the final year of his contract.
“I think there’s a real decision point there and it’s not one that we’re ready to make today,” Green said.
Senga has expressed a preference to pitch as a starter. But he struggled in that role this season, prompting his move to a bulk relief role before transitioning to aa high-leverage, one inning pitcher after the trade deadline.
He entered the day with eight saves in nine opportunities and had a 3.78 ERA in 18 appearances since Aug. 1.
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“We have an idea of how he fits in the pen now, which is really helpful,” Green said. “We don’t know the depth of our rotation going into ’27 right now. There’s a free-agency period. There’s a lot of uncertainty that could unfold over the offseason and he will fit into the spot he fits the best for us because that is how we should move forward at this point in time … where we’re at [after the offseason] will make the picture clearer nd figure out where the puzzle piece fits the best.”
