Josh Jung and the Restless Rangers Keep Postseason Hopes Alive Against the Hapless Mets

Rangers 3 Mets 1 (Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX)

Mets record: 73-86

Mets streak: Lost 1

WP - Rocker (6-11)

LP - Thornton (5-6)

SV - Montgomery (1)

Seat on the Korner: Josh Jung

We select a Star of the Game and virtually invite him to take his Seat on the Korner — just as Ralph Kiner did on WOR-TV Channel 9 during the early days of the New York Mets.

Continuing the tradition of Rheingold Beer sponsoring Kiner’s Korner, this season every seat is proudly presented by The Main Event Restaurant & Sports Bar.

With locations in Plainview and Farmingdale, The Main Event features 80+ HD TVs, fresh daily seafood, and Black Angus certified steaks—so you never have to choose between great food and the big game.

Josh Jung's 2-run homer sealed the game for the Texas Rangers over the New York Mets on Thursday afternoon.

The good news is, if you ever run out of melatonin or Ambien, you can pop on the replay of this game to use as a sleep aid.

The Mets only mustered four hits and one run, off of the bottom of the Rangers' pitching barrel.

Jung later added a double and then a single to go 3 for 3, with 2 RBIs and a run scored. Bringing his season average to .299 with 119 hits and 53 total runs scored.

Need to Know

• Brett Baty hit his second career grand slam yesterday and his second of the season...He extended his on-base streak to a career-high 16 games, and over that span he is slashing .405/.500/.784 (15-37) with seven runs, five doubles, three homers, 16 RBI, eight walks, and a 1.284 OPS.

  
  

• The Mets have won seven of their last nine road games.

  
  

• Alvy at the plate: Francisco Alvarez has set a career mark with four

  consecutive multi-hit games...Over the last four games, Alvarez is batting

  .471 (8-17) with four runs, two doubles, one home run, five RBI and a 1.235

  OPS...In 14 games this month, Alvarez is batting .255/.281/.455 with five

  extra-base hits and eight RBI.

  
  

• Benge chasing history: Carson Benge is looking to become the 11th player in

  franchise history to record 20 doubles, 20 home runs and 20 steals in a

  single season...With one more home run, he will become the first rookie in

  Mets history to accomplish that feat.

  
  

• Broadcaster's Jinx: Just after Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen mentioned Jake Burger's fielding prowess, Burger had his 118-game errorless streak just one game shy of setting a new Texas Rangers franchise record.

  
  

• The Mets need to sweep the Washington Nationals over the weekend to avoid finishing last place in the NL East.

Turning Point

In the bottom of the 6th inning with no outs, Jefry Yan came in to pitch to the left-handed Cory Seager. Seager had been in a bit of a slump recently, so the odds favored the hard-throwing lefty.

Seager got a good swing on a 97-mph 4-seamer that caught a little too much plate. He cracked the ball 108 mph off his bat, directly into the seats over the right-center field wall.

The Rangers added to their lead, making it 3-1. The game would end with that score.

Three Things

Zac Attack

Zac Thornton pitched his heart out for the Mets in this game and for the entire season. Thornton only allowed two runs on four hits, pitching five total innings, striking out four batters. His one mistake ended up costing the Mets the game in the end, but the kid showed a lot of heart in 2026.

Thornton finishes the season at 5 wins and 6 losses in 15 total games started.

Benge Still Rolling

Carson Benge drove in the Mets' only run in the top of the 1st inning on a line-drive single to right field. Lindor scored on the hit from second base.

Benge finished the game 1 for 4 with an RBI. His hit total for the season is now 160, adding to the Mets' rookie record.

His season stats are 19 home runs, 63 RBIs, and a .757 OPS.

Rangers Stay in First Place

The Rangers improved to 79-80 on the season, but more importantly, they remain in first place by half a game over the Astros to stay in the playoff race.

The second-place Astros need to win to tie the Rangers for the lead in the AL West.

The Chicago White Sox also clinched a playoff spot with a win on Thursday.