Carson Benge can do it all.
Two days after he threw out back-to-back runners at the plate, he helped the Mets to a game and series win Wednesday with his bat, lofting an opposite-field, two-run homer to break a scoreless tie in the fourth inning in the Mets’ 4-2 victory over the Padres.
The Mets (58-70) completed a 5-1 homestand and are 11-4 since the trade deadline. New York is 10 games back of San Diego (68-60) for the last Wild Card spot with 34 games left. In the eighth inning, the SNY telecast showed a fan holding a sign that read “Why Not Do The Impossible?”
Robert Stock allowed one run on two hits over 4 1/3 innings and was pulled after Fernando Tatis Jr. doubled in a run in the fifth, two outs shy of qualifying for what would have been his first win in seven years. He struck out a career-high six, walked three and hit a batter. Jonathan Pintaro entered, walked the first batter he faced and then got Manny Machado to hit into a 5-4-3 double play.
Nate Lavender (1-0) entered in the sixth with a runner on second, struck out two and got Luis Campusano to ground out. He earned his first career win. Austin Warren, making his first appearance since July 7 after suffering a right forearm strain, struck out two in a perfect seventh. Daniel Duarte pitched a 1-2-3 eighth with two strikeouts and has retired his last 14.
The Mets added two insurance runs in the eighth. The first came when Padres’ shortstop Sung-Mun Song threw a potential, inning-ending double play ball into right field. The second was on a two-out Jared Young RBI single.
Kodai Senga allowed a run in the ninth and the Padres had the tying run on first with one out, but he got Austin Hays to hit into a game-ending double play to earn his fourth save.
Stock worked out of self-inflicted trouble in the first two innings. He walked two in the first, but struck out Jackson Merrill with an 80-mph changeup to end the inning. He walked one and hit a batter in the second, but escaped with a pair of fly outs.
Michael King (8-9) allowed two runs on four hits over 6 2/3 innings, struck out four and walked two.
Neither team got a hit until A.J. Ewing (1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run) singled in the fourth. Ewing had a rough series (2-for-10 with six strikeouts) and is in a slump. He is 4-for-40 with 16 strikeouts and eight walks in his last 11 games. He has struck out in 10 consecutive games.
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Stat of the Game
Per SNY, the Mets lead the majors in home runs (55) by hitters batting in the bottom third of the order. The Met bottom third also has more homers than its top third (54) and middle third (45).
Player of the Game
Benge went 2-for-4 with his 15th homer and is slashing .272/.334/.418 for the season. Stock and the bullpen were excellent as well.
On Deck
The Mets are off Thursday. Sean Manaea (4-5, 4.22 ERA) will face RHP Sean Burke (7-6, 3.15 ERA) to start a three-game series with the White Sox at Rate Field on Friday at 7:40 p.m. ET on WPIX.
