The Kid is Clutch: Benge Comes up Big Twice in a Tough Win

Mets 4 Reds 2 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 23-33

Mets streak: Won 1

WP - Jonah Tong (1-0)

LP - Andrew Abbott (4-3)

SV - Devin Williams (8)

Seat on the Korner: Carson Benge

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.

It's not often you see such a young player delivering consistently in big moments. The Mets sorely needed this type of performance in a season that so far has so many "should have been, could have been" moments. The rookie came up big in the big moments.

Carson Benge's clutch hitting made the game 3-1 in the bottom of the 5th inning, after an 8-pitch at-bat. Then, in the bottom of the 7th inning, Benge came up with two outs and a runner on third base and hit a high pitch into center field to make the score 4-2. He went 2-4 with two RBIs. Two clutch singles when the team needed it most. Benge is getting a reputation as a clutch hitter, with two walk-off singles this season as well.

Need to Know

• Juan Soto's first-inning homer was his 12th of the season and his 8th in the past 12 games.

• Huascar Brazoban opened the game, allowing no runs in the inning he pitched. He now has a 1.67 ERA this year, with 21 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched.

  
  

• The Mets scored more than two runs in the game, keeping at them 25 games with two runs or less, two games behind the Los Angeles Angels.

  
  

• The Reds stranded 17 runners in the game. They left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.

  
  

• Eric Wagaman got his first hit of the season with the Mets, a solo shot to left field.

Turning Point

Carson Benge's 5th inning RBI single was the at-bat of the evening. With Runners on first and second, the tough rookie went down 0-2 and then battled the count back to full. He then muscled a hit into centerfield on a 93.5 mpg fast ball that went in on his hands, and he hit with the thing part of the bat. Benge's clutch hit scored Baty, who reached on an error, and pushed the lead to 3-1 at the time, an insurance run that was sorely needed, considering the Reds added a run in the top of the 6th.

Three Keys

Tong Song

Jonah Tong took the bulk of the innings against the Reds. He pitched 3.2 innings and walked four batters. Tong seems to have figured out his arm angle and temperament while pitching. He got behind some batters, but he kept his composure and got important outs. In Tong's 6.2 innings pitched this year, he still hasn't given up an earned run.

Hey Abbott!

Andrew Abbott pitched a great 6 innings for the Reds. The two home runs he gave up were the only two runs he allowed. Abbott gave up five hits and one walk, changing speeds and hitting his spots throughout the game. Abbott retired nine straight batters at one point before an error by Elly De La Cruz allowed a runner to reach, who would eventually score. In 12 games started this year, Abbott is 4-3 with a 3.88 ERA.

Call to the Bullpen

The Mets used six different pitchers: Brazoban, Tong, Tobias Meyers, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams. It wasn't pretty and clean. Instead, it was a gritty performance by the pen. Raley came into the game with runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs and hit the first batter to load the bases. An infield single scored a run to make the game 3-2. Then he got Eugenio Suarez to fly out to A.J. Ewing in CF to the final out of the inning.

In the top of the 9th, Williams walked three batters to load the bases. However, he stayed tough and struck out the last two batters to shut the door for his 8th save of the season.