Carson Benge fired a missile home, tagging out Manny Machado at the plate to end the first inning and slam the door on what looked like a rough start for the Mets. This came after Benge had already thrown out Jake Cronenworth at the plate on the previous play, showcasing some absolutely ridiculous defense right out of the gate in this crucial series. The Padres, fighting for that final Wild Card spot and sitting just a game ahead of the Diamondbacks, came into Citi Field ready for a battle, but Benge had other plans.
Rookie Firepower and First Inning Drama
The opening frame was a real test for Mets rookie pitcher Nolan McLean, who’s been having a fantastic first full season. Fernando Tatis Jr. lined out on the very first pitch, seeming to promise an easy inning. Nope! Back-to-back singles, then two more singles immediately after. But here’s where Benge stepped up big time: both of those last singles were hit to him, and he threw out *both* Cronenworth and Machado at home on consecutive plays. That’s clutch, people! The Mets answered right back in the bottom of the first. A.J. Ewing led off with a single, Francisco Lindor walked, and then Bo Bichette, on his bobblehead night no less, singled to drive in Ewing for the first run. Luis Robert Jr. followed two batters later with a sacrifice fly to bring Lindor home, giving the Mets a quick two-run lead.
Defensive Grit Keeps Mets Ahead
McLean faced another gauntlet in the second inning, walking two and hitting a batter to load the bases with no outs. Talk about trouble brewing! But McLean kept his cool, fielding a comebacker from Luis Rengifo and throwing home for a force out. The bases stayed loaded with one out, though. Tatis Jr. then hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Gavin Sheets, cutting the Mets’ lead to one. Cronenworth singled again, but Ewing came up huge this time, throwing Xander Bogaerts out at the plate to end the inning. Seriously, the defense was just lights out. After that early fireworks show, McLean and Padres starter Walker Buehler settled in, trading scoreless innings for the next few frames.
Bullpen Locks It Down, McLean Gets the Win
McLean exited after six innings, giving up just one run despite allowing six hits and four walks, with only three strikeouts. That stat line tells you everything you need to know about the incredible team defense behind him. The Mets bullpen picked up right where the starters left off, with Jonathan Pintaro, Nate Lavender, and Daniel Duarte combining for three scoreless innings. Pintaro gave up the only hit in the final three, and Duarte closed it out with two strikeouts in the ninth for the save. McLean absolutely earned that win, thanks in no small part to the spectacular defensive plays from his fellow rookies, Benge and Ewing. The Mets are back at it for two more games against the Padres, and with San Diego battling for that Wild Card spot, you know they’re going to be intense.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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