Kodai Senga finally falters out of pen as Mets waste rally, Nolan McLean gem in walk-off loss to White Sox

CHICAGO — Kodai Senga stood with his hands on his hips in disgust as fireworks exploded beyond the center-field fence.

The right-hander had thrived as the closer before Sunday, but Tristan Peters dealt him his first adversity in that role with a walk-off homer in the ninth that sent the Mets to a 2-1 loss and series defeat to the White Sox at Rate Field.

Both losses in the series for the Mets were on walkoff homers.   

Jared Young’s RBI single in the ninth tied it 1-1, after the Mets put two runners aboard, against Grant Taylor.

But with a chance to take the lead, the Mets sputtered: Francisco Alvarez and A.J. Ewing each struck out, the latter occurring with the bases loaded.

Andrew Benintendi’s RBI triple in the eighth against Daniel Duarte produced the game’s first run.

Duarte, who has been ultra-reliable in the setup role, allowed two hits in the inning.

 A night earlier, the Mets blasted five homers in a victory, but the bats were relatively silent in essentially a bullpen game for the White Sox.

Interim manager Andy Green deployed a heavily right-handed starting lineup that included Eric Wagaman and Christopher Morel.   

Nolan McLean dominated over six shutout innings in which he allowed only one hit. The right-hander walked four batters and hit another, finishing with six strikeouts.

The start was McLean’s third straight of at least six innings with one run or less allowed.

Over that stretch, his ERA dropped from 3.51 to 3.21.

McLean loaded the bases with consecutive walks to Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas in the third, but following a visit from pitching coach Justin Willard struck out Benintendi on three pitches.

Jake Rogers hit a shot to left field in the fifth inning that leaping Luis Robert Jr. caught at the fence to deprive Rogers — who won Friday’s game with a walk-off homer in the ninth — of an extra-base hit.

Dedniel Núñez pitched a scoreless seventh for his third appearance in his last four without allowing an earned run.

The right-hander is working back from Tommy John surgery rehab and had two rough outings upon rejoining the Mets, but has shown improvement lately.