The Mets officially locked up last place in the NL East this season after falling to the Nationals 7-6 last night, but there was one massive bright spot: rookie right fielder Carson Benge became the first Mets rookie ever to hit for a 20-20 season. Benge smashed his 20th home run of the year, a huge personal milestone even as his team sank in the standings.
Benge Makes History, Team Takes a Dive
Seriously, what even *was* that third inning against the Nats? Four wild pitches, two of them forcing in runs. That sealed the Mets’ fate in a game that was sloppy for both sides. But amidst that mess, Carson Benge delivered, hitting his 20th bomb to go along with his 20 stolen bases. It’s a truly special feat, and you could feel how much it meant to him. “Anything that can be in the history book and done for the first time is something special,” Benge said, “I hold that close to my heart.” It’s a bummer it came in a losing effort that cemented their last-place finish, but a 20-20 rookie season is no joke. The second game of this series even got bumped to an earlier 12:35 PM start from 4:05 PM because of rain. That’s just how the season’s going, right?
The Bitter Taste of Missing Out
Mets coach Andy Green was super blunt about the importance of avoiding the cellar before last night’s game. He said, “If it matters to a Mets fan, it matters to me, but deep down, if I think about it, there’s playoffs and there’s not playoffs. There’s nothing we’re going to do to get to that spot. As we watch other teams celebrate inclusion in playoffs, that should leave a bitter taste in all of our mouths to get back there. That’s all I’m really concerned with.” You can feel the frustration there. Losing to the Nationals ensures that “bitter taste” is going to linger all offseason. On the roster front, Justin Hagenman got called up and pitched the bulk of last night’s game in relief, while Jack Weisenburger was optioned out. And Francisco Lindor picked up his fourth straight Roberto Clemente Award nomination, an honor he’d “cherish for the rest of [his] career.”
Wild Card Race Heating Up
While the Mets are packing it in, the NL Wild Card race is still wild. The Phillies got shut out 2-0 by Freddy Peralta and the Rays, and the Diamondbacks are now within a game of Philadelphia for that final Wild Card spot. Arizona even holds the tiebreaker! Philly was five games up with eight left, and now they’re seriously on the bubble. Meanwhile, the Braves already secured their NL East title, but they got blanked 3-0 by the Marlins. Eury Pérez ended his season with a one-hit shutout, striking out eight. Definitely a high note for him!
The Mets still have another game against the Nats, and then what? They’re playing for pride and to see what these young guys like Benge can do to build for next year.
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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