Senga (4-3) took the loss against the Cubs on Wednesday, allowing three runs on six hits and five walks while striking out six batters over five innings.
Senga pitched on six days of rest, as this start was pushed from Tuesday to Wednesday. The right-hander began with two scoreless frames before surrendering a trio of runs on a walk and three hits -- including two doubles -- in the third. Senga was able to bounce back with two more scoreless innings, but he racked up 106 pitches by the end of the fifth and didn't go any further. The relatively short outing was largely due to his troubles finding the zone -- he threw 41 balls and walked a season-high five batters. Free passes have been the biggest concern for the Japanese hurler this season, as he's issued at least three walks in all but one of his nine starts. Senga has somewhat minimized the damage from the control issues with an excellent 11.4 K/9, but he's completed six innings only three times and sports an uninspiring 1.52 WHIP.