Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, there were thoughts that Jorge Polanco would end his rehab assignment and join the Mets in San Diego on Friday, but he is instead remaining on his rehab assignment. Polanco is thought to be close to joining the Mets and could do so on the next homestand.

Jorge Polanco
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

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The Mets (28-35) beat the Padres (32-30) 5-0 in the series opener Friday night. Jared Young and Luis Torrens homered in the effort, while Christian Scott led the way on the mound with 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

Sean Manaea spoke to Will Sammon of The Athletic about his recent uptick in velocity and his team-first persona.

Latest MLB News

The Yankees recalled outfield prospect Spencer Jones to take Aaron Judge‘s spot on the roster after Judge landed on the IL.

Latest on MMO

In the latest MMO Weekly, we talk about how the Mets have shown more signs of life lately.

On This Date in Mets History

1986: The 1986 Mets split a doubleheader against the Pirates on this day 40 years ago. The Mets lost Game 1 with Ron Darling on the mound before Roger McDowell and the Mets won in Game 2.

Born on This Date: Alex Carrillo (1997), Joey Lucchesi (1993), Jesús Feliciano (1979), David Lamb (1975), Bud Harrelson (1944), Carl Willey (1931).

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After the Mets went down in order in the top of the first, Scott took the mound. The young righty worked around a leadoff single, keeping the game scoreless through one.

In the top of the second, Jared Young led off with a solo home run that traveled 422 feet. Scott pitched another solid frame in the bottom half of the inning, working around another leadoff single, and the Mets led 1-0 after two.

In the top of the third, Torrens roped a one-out double into the left-center field gap, before advancing on a Carson Benge flyout to center. With two outs, Bo Bichette ripped an RBI triple down the line, extending the Mets’ lead to 2-0.

In the top of the fifth, Brett Baty led off with a single. After an MJ Melendez flyout, Luis Torrens blasted a 413 foot two-run home run to dead center field, extending the Mets’ lead to 4-0.

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Scott was excellent in his 5 2/3 innings of work, allowing just three hits and zero runs. The start put him in line for his second consecutive, and second career, winning decision. Huascar Brazobán came on to bail Scott out of a first-and-third, two-out jam to keep the score at 4-0 after six innings.

Brazobán stayed on for the bottom of the seventh inning and worked a scoreless frame.

Luke Weaver replaced Brazobán in the bottom of the eight inning with the Mets still leading 4-0. The right-hander worked a scoreless inning, continuing his strong pitching as of late.

In the top of the ninth, A.J. Ewing singled and managed to steal two bases. With two outs, Baty singled, extending the lead to 5-0. The run was scored off of Mason Miller.

A.J. Minter entered in the bottom of the ninth inning, looking to close out a win for the Mets. The veteran left-hander would do just that, working around a Baty error in a scoreless inning.

Player of the Game: Christian Scott

Scott turned in what was potentially his best start as a pro. Although he was unable to get out of the sixth inning, the 26-year-old worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings, with just three hits and two walks, while striking out three. Scott may be the most consistent Mets starter at the moment, with his scoreless outing lowering his ERA to 2.50 across 36 innings.

On Deck

The Mets will resume action on Saturday at 10:10 p.m. EST in the middle contest of the three-game set against the Padres. Nolan McLean will take the mound, looking to steady the ship in what has been a rough period on the mound. The game will stream live on SNY, with radio on WCBS 880, and the Audacy app.

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The Mets dominantly swept the Marlins at Citi Field. As a result, they have now won four straight while finishing the homestand 4-2.

There is still a long way to go for this team to prove they have what it takes to mount a true turnaround. Still, it felt good to see this ballclub take care of business in a big way for once.

On that note, let’s recap everything from the Marlins series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down …

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

3 UP

SIGNS OF LIFE

For the first time in a while, the offense delivered consistent results. The Mets outscored the Marlins 25-9 over the three games. Yes, Miami is hardly a world beater, but this same team did sweep New York in late May. And, given just how bad this offense has been, it doesn’t matter the opponent as long as runs are scored. MJ Melendez, Carson Benge, Hayden Senger, and Marcus Semien all came up with big and clutch hits over the weekend. In short, everyone contributed. Of course, one man in particular stole the show.

STAR ATTRACTION 

The aforementioned man we’re talking about is Juan Soto, obviously. The superstar hitter stayed on a heater against Miami, making sizable contributions in all three games. The highlight was a grand slam in the finale, which effectively put the game out of reach. Soto finished the series with five RBIs, two walks, and three runs scored. Furthermore, he’s hitting .356/.431/.822/.1.254 with seven home runs, 15 RBIs, six walks, and 12 runs scored over his last 12 games. That’s called leading by example.

RISING STAR

Christian Scott is having a moment right now. The righty is fast turning into a reliable arm for the Mets, and he delivered arguably his best outing of the year on Saturday. Scott allowed just one run on five hits with eight strikeouts over five innings. As a result, he picked up the first win of his major league career. Furthermore, Scott owns a 2.97 ERA on the year and continues to show plenty of promise.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

NOT SO FAST

As encouraging as this weekend was for the Mets, let’s pump the brakes a little bit. They haven’t done anything yet, and have a long way to go to earn back our trust. It is still too soon to give them the benefit of the doubt. We need to see a lot more over a longer stretch of time before we really buy back in. It is also worth remembering that the sweep came against a bad Marlins team. Furthermore, the Mets have shown signs of promise before, only to then immediately collapse like a cheap pack of cards. It is a start, but let’s see how June unfolds before we start buying back all our stock in this team.

SHORT STAYS

The rub on Freddy Peralta has always been that he’s incapable of going deep in games. That’s hardly changed in New York. He’s pitched six innings or longer just four times as a Met. In his latest outing on Friday, he lasted just 4.2 innings, allowing four runs. Plus, with a 3.55 ERA on the year, Peralta has been solid, but there needs to be a lot more to come.

ROUGH PATCH

It wasn’t the best of weekends for Tobias Myers. Usually so reliable, the righty gave up the two-run homer that blew a big lead and made it a tied game on Friday. Myers was then optioned so that a fresh pitcher could be called up. After giving up runs in five of his last seven outings, Myers will hope to get the train back on the tracks once he does return to the majors.

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Christian Scott has finally earned his first career major league win, snapping a streak of 15 straight winless starts to begin his career, two shy of the major league record held by Liam Hendriks. The Mets took the win over the Marlins by a score of 6-1 on Saturday, winning three in a row and taking the series against Miami. It was a great day overall for the Mets, which showcased all facets of the game. Big days from Carson Benge, Jared Young, and Marcus Semien helped to pace the Mets’ offense.

Scott was critical for the Mets, going five innings, allowing five hits, one earned run, and striking out eight. Saturday night tied Scott’s career high for strikeouts and was only the second time in his career he has thrown more than 94 pitches.

In his last two starts, Scott has gone 10 2/3 innings allowing only one earned run, lowering his ERA for the season to 2.97. “We saw signs of that in 2024,” Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the game. “I’m not surprised by it, but man, if we can get that version, which I’m pretty confident we will, that’s another factor for us to turn this thing around right there.”

Something that Scott has been very good at this season is liming hard contact. Entering Saturday, Scott’s barrel rate of 1.5% ranks at the top of all qualified MLB starters, and in the 98th percentile of all MLB pitchers. His hard hit rate is in the 93rd percentile and his average exit velocity against is in the 80th percentile. All of those are fantastic metrics to help limit damage as a starter.

Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

So, what has changed from his initial stint in 2024, when it felt like he could not get anyone out?

The biggest positive development from Scott has been a drastic improvement in his repertoire. This improvement is two-fold; improvement of pitches he already could throw, and a big shift in pitch mix.

In 2026, Scott has seen large increases in his “Stuff+” metrics on his split finger and his sweeper. On average, his sweeper is generating almost four more inches of horizonal break this season compared to 2024. Whys this matter? His new sweeper profile has had a huge impact on his results. In 2024, his sweeper was hit very hard, allowing an opponent slugging percentage of .516. Entering Saturday, opponents were only slugging .318 off the sweeper, despite throwing it more often.

The biggest improvement to Scott’s game is the development of his cutter. In 2024, Scott threw only two cutters. This year, he is now throwing his cutter over 20% of the time, and for good reason. Opponents are hitting .136 and slugging .182 off the pitch.

The cutter has allowed him to combat his biggest weakness from 2024: left-handed batters. In 2024, left-handed hitters slashed .333/.375/.567 off Scott, good for a .942 OPS. Entering Saturday, lefties were slashing .180/.306/.519 off of Scott, good for a .519 OPS. Against those type of hitters, Scott prefers his cutter to any other secondary pitch, throwing it 24% of the time versus lefties compared to 13% against right-handed pitchers.

Despite the pitch improvements, Scott still needs to work on some aspects of his game. After his start on Saturday, Scott now has 16 walks in 30 1/3 innings. His walk rate is in the bottom 10% of major league pitchers, and he has walked multiple hitters in six of his seven starts this year. This causes him to throw several more pitches than he would like. Scott has only pitched into the sixth inning once this year. He has not completed six innings this year, and has not completed five innings in four of the seven starts.

Despite the length issues, Scott has brought something the Mets have desperately needed, stability. He has shown an ability to keep the Mets in games over the month of May, which cannot be said for several of their other starters. While he hasn’t been perfect, he has taken the ball and given them the chance to win the game.

Manager Carlos Mendoza is right. If the Mets want to get back in this year, they are going to need someone to drag them back into the race. With issues from some of their other starters, Christian Scott is an incredibly important piece. He needs to be someone that can be relied upon moving forward, not only this year, but hopefully for years to come.

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Scott Notches First Career Win

Right now, the Mets’ starting rotation is in flux. Clay Holmes is injured, Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean are struggling, and David Peterson‘s struggles have resulted in him going back to the bullpen. With that, the Mets need Scott and Jonah Tong to step up. Coming off one of his better outings of the season last weekend against the Marlins, Scott was impressive again. He pitched five good innings with eight strikeouts and allowed five hits and one earned run. Scott utilized his sweeper really well, throwing it 37.5% of the time. He also threw his fastball 40.6% of the time. Scott has 13 strikeouts in his last two outings.

Senger Hits First Career Home Run

Scott wasn’t the only one on the Mets who got a first for their career in the game. Catcher Hayden Senger, who had only one hit since coming back to the major leagues after the injury to Francisco Alvarez, took a slider away for his first home run of the season over the left field wall. Senger, who turned 29 years old in April, hit six home runs in the minor leagues this season. The team was waiting for Senger to demonstrate the power they knew he had. It was also just a feel-good moment as manager Carlos Mendoza, a longtime minor leaguer who never got a chance at the high level as a player, had a big smile on his face when Senger got back into the dugout after the home run.

Benge, Ewing Impress Mazzilli

Before they were inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame, Mazzilli and Valentine spoke to the media, and one of the highlights was Mazzilli speaking about the two rookie Mets outfielders. “I love watching Ewing and Benge play”, Mazzilli said, “They have all the tools, they’re exciting. I think there are some good things ahead for those young kids. They’re impressive.” Right on cue, Benge and Ewing showed exactly why Mazzilli is a fan. Ewing made a great running catch in the fifth inning to preserve a win chance for Scott. Benge not only made a nice catch of his own on defense but also had a three-hit day at the plate and scored a run.

Mets Game Notes

Marcus Semien notched two hits, including an RBI single. Juan Soto continued his hot streak with an RBI single. Jared Young slammed his first home run of the season. Mark Vientos ripped a double off the wall in left field that gave the Mets a 2-0 lead early in the game. Cionel Perez, Huascar Brazoban, Austin Warren, and Devin Williams all pitched scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Player of the Game: Christian Scott

With eight strikeouts in five innings, Scott earned the first win of his major league career. His comeback from Tommy John surgery continues.

On Deck:

Nolan McLean will take the mound again on Sunday afternoon, looking for a crucial bounce-back performance after a couple of clunkers in a row. The Marlins will start Janson Junk. First pitch is set for 1:40 pm EST and will be televised locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ 880am.

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Devin Williams hadn’t allowed a run since April 23 (10 outings) when he entered a scoreless game Sunday against the Marlins in the ninth inning. That changed quickly: Double, sacrifice bunt, walk, intentional walk, a Heriberto Hernández walk-off grand slam.

MMO’s Brandyn Pokrass’ excellent recap is here. Brandyn was at the scene of the Mets’ crimes against hitting all weekend.

The last-place Mets (22-31) were shutout for the sixth time this year and scored two runs in three games in Miami over the weekend. New York is last in the majors in OPS (.642) and have scored the second-fewest runs in the National League, ahead of only the Giants.

“We ran into some good pitching and we ourselves were not at our best,” Marcus Semien said.

One bright note: Christian Scott had his best and longest outing of the season, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out five. Scott’s ERA is 3.20 over 25 1/3 innings. He is decisionless this season and winless in 15 career starts.

After finishing a 2-5 road trip, the Mets start a six-game homestand Monday with Nolan McLean (2-3, 3.57 ERA) on the mound against the Reds. McLean gave up a career-high six earned runs his last time out. LHP Nick Lodolo (0-1, 7.20 ERA) goes for Cincinnati. Game time is 4:10 p.m. After three games with the Reds, the Mets will host the Marlins over the weekend.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Carlos Mendoza was asked how the Mets recover.

“Well, we got no choice, right?” he said. “I mean, we’re scuffling. We got a lot of guys that are going through it right now. We’re not grinding at-bats. When you look at it, two hard-hit balls, Baty and A.J., other than that … we got to figure it out. You got to be able to score runs.”

Mendoza said before the game that Jorge Polanco was going to take at-bats in Port St. Lucie Sunday and “hopefully” could go on a rehab assignment “pretty soon.” He said he had no news on Luis Robert Jr. (back).

Juan Soto was out Sunday with an illness that Mendoza said he was battling for three days. He said the slugger showed up with a fever and was dealing with body aches.

Latest MLB News

Chris Taylor officially retired, “clearing up any confusion,” by making the announcement official on his Instagram. The 12-year veteran’s retirement was first reported on Friday, but on Saturday MLB.com reported that he changed his mind and was going on the minor-league injured list because he suffered a fractured forearm on an HBP in Triple-A.

Reid Detmers struck out 14 Rangers and retired 24 of 25 batters in the Angels’ 2-1 win. He became the second player in Angels history to strike out 14 while allowing one or fewer hits in an outing. The other player was Nolan Ryan, who did it three times, twice in no-hitters.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was removed from the Blue Jays’ game Sunday with a right elbow bruise after he was hit by a pitch. X-rays were negative and manager John Schneider said he could play Monday. Toronto starter Dylan Cease also left the game after pitching 4 2/3 innings with mild left hamstring pain. He will have an MRI test done and a decision on whether he makes his next start will be made in the next two days, Schneider said.

Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, who went on the injured list with shoulder inflammation on April 29, will throw batting practice off the Fenway Park mound on Tuesday.

Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández is expected to make his season debut Monday. He had left elbow surgery last fall.

Rockies LHP Jose Quintana was pulled from his start in the second inning Sunday with left elbow pain.

Latest on MMO

The offense was MIA over the first two games in Miami. I had more details here.

Jack Ramsey wrote up the minor-league action from Saturday. AJ Salgado hit his seventh homer for St. Lucie.

On This Date in Mets History

2021: With the whole Opening Day starting outfield on the injured list (Michael Conforto, Kevin Pillar and Brandon Nimmo), as well as backups Albert Almora and Johneshwy Fargas, the Mets trade a minor-league pitcher to the Brewers for outfielder Billy McKinney. He hits five homers in 39 games for New York before being dealt to the Dodgers for a minor-league pitcher in July.

2015: Bartolo Colón earns the win with six innings of three-run ball and goes 1-for-2 in a 6-3 victory over the Phillies. Lucas Duda, Michael Cuddyer and Wilmer Flores homer.

1979: John Stearns singles home Lee Mazzilli with two outs in the ninth to tie the game at 3. In the 11th, Pirates outfielder (and future 1986 Mets hitting and first-base coach) Bill Robinson loses Joel Youngblood‘s fly to left in the fog at Shea Stadium, the umpires stop play and the game is declared a tie after a 73-minute delay.

Born on This Date: Neil Ramírez (1989), Eric Young Jr. (1985), Scott Hairston (1980), Jim Marshall (1931).

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On a day where the pitching was great for eight of nine innings, New York’s bats fell silent once again in the 305. And as it has many times, the Mets’ inability to string together at-bats sealed their fate in this one.

Loading the bases in the ninth inning, Devin Williams hung a change-up, which was crushed 416 feet by Heriberto Hernández for the walk-off grand slam. In one swing, the Mets’ pitching staff went from allowing zero runs on the day to four, and saw their team get swept as a result.

Final: Marlins 4, Mets 0
…yeah, that’s a fitting way for this one to end. Heriberto Hernández crushes a hanging changeup for a walk off grand slam. The Mets’ pitching held out for 8 innings, but the lineup’s struggles were too much to overcome. New York goes 0-3 on the weekend. pic.twitter.com/mL0enOSvbl

— Brandyn Pokrass (@BPok24) May 24, 2026

For a large chunk of this game, as stated earlier, the Mets’ pitching was lights-out.

On the hill to start for New York on Sunday was Christian Scott, and despite the lineup faltering the right-handed pitcher took another step toward becoming his best self for the Mets.

Over 5 2/3 innings pitched, Scott only allowed four hits and two walks. He struck out five batters and did not allow a run, dropping his ERA on the season to 3.20.

On multiple occasions, Scott escaped multiple situations where multiple runners were on base with less than two outs. And on each occasion, Scott kept his composure and went right after the Marlins’ batters.

The version of Scott that showed himself on Sunday may not have been perfect, but he was solid and gave the Mets a chance to win the baseball game. If the starting pitcher can continue to progress and build off this start, he will be a great asset to the Mets this season and going forward.

In the bullpen, Huascar Brazobán, Brooks Raley, and Luke Weaver worked around danger and kept the game tied up. On a different day, that would have been enough.

Scott, facing Owen Caissie, struck him out with the sweeper. He then got Kyle Stowers to ground out to end the inning. Really good job by the RHP to escape allowing any runs in the inning. After 3, the score remains 0-0. https://t.co/V2IYA0VgtE

— Brandyn Pokrass (@BPok24) May 24, 2026

However, Sunday’s game was a struggle for the same reason the other two games were. New York’s lineup simply could not get anything rolling on a consistent basis.

Totaling five hits as a team, every inning for the Metropolitans felt like déjà vu. New York would notch a baserunner, and instead of driving in said baserunner, they would squander the opportunity. Whether it was a flyout on a ball with an expected batting average over .400, a back-breaking double play, or a caught stealing, it felt like New York could simply never get that “big” hit. And with the Mets’ pitching shutting down Miami for most of the game, the lack of success was that much more crushing.

Outside of a few weeks in May where the lineup looked to have turned things around, this struggle has been the Mets’ reality in 2026. Some hitters did some positive things in the game, and the series, but the overall unit was not good enough. Until that fact changes, the Mets’ record will not improve.

They cannot, as A.J. Ewing strikes out on a 98.8 MPH fastball from Michael Petersen. Score remains 0-0 heading to the bottom of the 7th. (Also, Bichette's ball had an xBA of .470, while Torrens's ball was .460 for xBA. Not NY's day, or series, once again.) https://t.co/MogS1AoE37

— Brandyn Pokrass (@BPok24) May 24, 2026

Even in the worst of stretches, there are always some positives, no matter how small. And for the Metts, those positives keep coming from A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge.

While Benge did not have his best day at the plate, his walk and stolen base gave the Mets their best chance at scoring in the game against Miami. He continues to battle at the plate, and even when it is not his best day, Benge puts the Mets in a position to make winning plays on the offensive side of the ball.

When it comes to Ewing, the rookie had positive moments on both sides of the game. The center fielder recorded two hits and stole a base, giving New York baserunners multiple times in a game where they were scarce. And in the field, Ewing made an incredible throw to nail Javier Sanoja at the plate, keeping the game tied at 0 in the seventh.

A.J. Ewing does great things on a baseball field every game. What a throw from the CF to nail the runner at the plate, keeping this game a 0-0 tie. #Mets pic.twitter.com/Szi2Lv6lEk

— Brandyn Pokrass (@BPok24) May 24, 2026

These moements are great for the future of the Mets, as Benge and Ewing should share the outfield alongside Juan Soto for the forseeable future. But in the present, they have not been enough to overcome the other struggles the team has faced. Until the overall roster for New York shows improvement, especially on the hitting side, it is hard to see how things can consistently get better.

The post Mets Swept By Marlins Following Walk-Off Slam appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The New York Mets look to salvage the series and avoid the sweep this afternoon against the Marlins. Friday night the Mets lost 2-1. Saturday, the Mets lost 4-1. Going back to Thursday the Mets have scored only four runs. Hopefully, the Mets’ offense can wake up this afternoon in Miami.

Mets Lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Bo Bichette – SS
3. A.J. Ewing – CF
4. Mark Vientos – 1B
5. Brett Baty – 3B
6. Marcus Semien – 2B
7. MJ Melendez – DH
8. Tyrone Taylor – LF
9. Hayden Senger – C

Starting Pitcher: Christian Scott

Christian Scott has pitched 19 2/3 innings over five starts this season with a 4.12 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 1.475 WHIP, and a 97 ERA+. He also has 25 strikeouts this season (11.4 K/9).

Walks have been Scott’s growth area this season. Last time out he notched three of them, combined with four hits meant an early exit.

The only members of the Marlins to face Scott in a major league game are Xavier Edwards (2-for-2) and Otto Lopez (0-for-3, K).

Marlins Lineup

1. Liam Hicks – C
2. Xavier Edwards – 2B
3. Owen Caissie – RF
4. Kyle Stowers – LF
5. Otto Lopez – SS
6. Jakob Marsee – CF
7. Connor Norby – 1B
8. Christopher Morel – DH
9. Javier Sanoja – 3B

The Mets’ bats will close out the series against Tyler Phillips, making his first start of the season. Over eight games, 30 innings, in relief, Phillips has a 1.20 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 1.267 WHIP, and a 342 ERA+. He has walked 16 batters; an alarming amount.

The Mets have the following career numbers against Phillips:

• Brett Baty 0-2, K
• Bo Bichette 1-1
• Hayden Senger 1-3
• Juan Soto 0-1, BB
• Tyrone Taylor 1-1
• Luis Torrens 0-2
• Mark Vientos 0-3

Game Notes

After originally being in the lineup, Juan Soto was scratched due to an illness late Sunday morning according to manager Carlos Mendoza.

Per manager Carlos Mendoza, infielder Jorge Polanco is taking live at-bats in Port St. Lucie Sunday and if he progresses well, could go on a rehab assignment “pretty soon.”

Three Things To Watch For

1. Get hits. The Mets have recorded three hits in each game of this series so far. Friday night, Juan Soto had two of them and Saturday, Mark Vientos had two of them. That’s just not enough to get runs across. We have seen this time collectively slump before, now it’s time for them to collectively break out of it.
2. Rough weekend for the kids. The rookies shouldn’t have to carry the Mets and at times this season they needed to. Friday night Benge went 0-3 with a walk. His outs were loud, with great plays being made in center field. However, yesterday,  Benge went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Ewing had his first real rough game Saturday also going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Nick Morabito is still looking for his first major league hit going 0-for-7 with six strikeouts over three games this season.
3. Devin Williams. The Mets last used Williams in a save situation last Thursday where he allowed a hit and no runs against the Nationals. In 19 games this season, 16 2/3 innings, Williams has a 4.32 ERA, 2.31 FIP, 1.440 WHIP, and a 93 ERA+. In his last 10 games, 9 2/3 innings, he has a 0.00 ERA, 1.23 FIP and has struck out 12 batters. He’s in the 97th percentile for chase rate, 99th for whiff rate, 97th for strikeout rate, 90th for xERA, and 92nd for xBA.

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The Mets came from two runs down for the second straight night to beat Detroit, earning a 3-2 victory Wednesday at Citi Field. The Mets (17-25) have quietly won seven of 11.

Bo Bichette tied the game with a two-out, bloop single to center in the seventh, and four Met relievers (Huascar Brazobán, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams and Brooks Raley) hurled 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Starter Christian Scott was not at his best, pitching in and out of trouble. He allowed two runs on seven hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out five. The 26-year-old’s ERA is 3.45. He has yet to win a game in 13 career appearances.

Dillon Dingler, the game’s second batter, hit a line drive to right that glanced off Benge’s glove as he was on the run and put runners at second and third. It was scored as a double. One out later, Riley Greene singled both men home.

Framber Valdez made the start after serving a five-game suspension for hitting Trevor Story of the Red Sox with a fastball in the back. He gave up two runs over 6 2/3 innings and was chased after Benge singled in the seventh. Kyle Finnegan came in to face Bichette, who greeted him with the game-tying hit.

Juan Soto, who started at designated hitter, fouled a pitch off his foot in the third inning and exited for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. X-rays were negative, and he will be day-to-day.

In his second big-league game, Ewing went 0-for-3 with a walk and struck out looking three times. He was the free runner in the 10th when he scored on Benge’s one-out hit.

Stat of the Game

Not a stat, but I learned today that Ewing’s debut came on the 41st anniversary of the Knicks winning the draft lottery that allowed them to select Patrick Ewing.

Player of the Game

Benge was 3-for-5 and raised his batting average to .230. Big credit to Brazobán too, who retired all seven batters he faced and struck out two.

On Deck

The Mets will go for a sweep. Nolan McLean (1-2, 2.78) has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 15 of 16 career starts. RHP Keider Montero, (2-2, 3.18 ERA), who has never faced the Mets, goes for Detroit. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. ET, and the game will air on SNY.

The post Benge Walk-Off Single Scores Ewing, Tames Tigers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The pitching, aside from a weak link in the rotation, has generally been pretty good. The offense has been a glaring problem. At this point, it’s time to cut bait and move on to the next generation of Mets.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Outfield

It all starts with A.J. Ewing. With Luis Robert Jr. injured and without a timetable to return, Ewing should be the everyday starting center fielder. He did nothing but hit in 2025 and has taken another significant step forward in 2026. Yes, he was only recently promoted to Triple-A, but he’s continued to hit. His underlying data in Syracuse is fantastic, albeit in a small sample size, and the Mets frankly don’t have a better option.

The Mets should have Juan Soto in left, Ewing in center and Carson Benge in right every single day. Soto can continue to get some days at DH, but those three should be playing every day regardless of the handedness of the starting pitcher. Ewing, a lefty, is actually hitting better against lefties than he is righties so far this year. Benge, who has been sent to the bench most days versus lefties, needs to be allowed to see them. He got one on Sunday, and he picked up one of the four hits the Mets had versus Eduardo Rodríguez and hit two more balls over 90 mph that found gloves. He’s hitting .231 versus lefties on the season — higher than his overall mark — and is hitting .261/.370/.522/.892 in May. He’s figuring it out. Keep him in the lineup.

Tyrone Taylor and MJ Melendez can remain on the bench. Taylor is a good fourth outfielder; he brings value to a team in a bench role. Melendez is one of the few Mets hitters who has shown any signs of life; he can pick up some starts at DH and in left field whenever Soto shifts to the designated hitter spot.

There is no reason for Andy Ibáñez or Austin Slater to be on this roster. Yes, the selection of outfielders proposed here would be very left-handed, but the need to platoon is overplayed. Ewing and Benge are too important to shield from left-handed pitching. They need to learn to face them, and have already shown they’re capable of doing so. Soto is platoon resistant, and Taylor and Melendez form a platoon in that reserve outfield role.

Ibáñez arguably cost the Mets the game on Sunday with his multiple errors and is 2-for-17 on the year (0-for-6 with the Mets). Yes, it’s just 17 plate appearances, but the Mets should know what they have with him. He’s a veteran, and he hasn’t posted an OPS over .653 since 2023.

Slater has been a little better with the Mets, going 5-for-16 (a .313 batting average) since joining the club after hitting .174 in 12 games with the Marlins to open the year, but what little upside. He hasn’t shown any power, he’s not a good defender, and he’s 33 years old coming off back-to-back seasons with OPS marks of .587 and .642. Forcing him into the lineup just because he’s a righty, at the expense of playing time for Benge, ultimately does nothing to make the Mets better.

Ryan Clifford
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Infield

Now onto the infield. Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien will play every day. Bichette has to be better; there’s nothing else to say there. Semien, while he definitely needs to be better as well, probably catches too much flak. He has also struggled at the plate, but he hasn’t been too far under expectations. He was brought in, first and foremost, because he only had three years remaining on his contract compared to Brandon Nimmo‘s five. Secondly, he was brought here to play a good defensive second base and hit at the bottom of what should have been a very potent lineup. If the players around him were holding up their end of the bargain, Semien’s struggles wouldn’t be as magnified because it’s more or less what was expected of him. Alas, that is not the case.

Those two should be the double-play combination every day until Francisco Lindor returns. Yes, Bichette was brought in to play third base, but when the starting shortstop, who seldom misses games, gets injured, along with his backup, things change. That’s not anyone’s fault. He’s not nearly as good a defensive shortstop as he has proven to be a third baseman, but he can manage until Lindor is back. Vidal Bruján can stick around as defensive insurance and a pinch runner.

The corners are where things get tricky. If Jacob Reimer had started his season similarly to Ewing, there would be an argument to give him a shot at third. That didn’t happen, and while he has hit much better as of late, he’s still in Double-A and not an option at this time. It likely falls to Brett Baty for what should be his final opportunity. It’s not going to excite anyone with how Baty has started his 2026, but the Mets don’t have a better option at this point. Play Baty every day, even against lefties, and know once and for all if he’s part of the plans for the future. If he’s still struggling by the time Lindor returns, you’ll have your answer and can move on with a clear conscience.

As for first base, the Mets should see what they have with Ryan Clifford. The slugging first baseman has not been great in Triple-A and is striking out way too much, but he still has an OPS of .800. He’s hitting for power, and the strikeouts have come down in recent games, so give him a shot. Mark Vientos, despite the sporadic power showings, hasn’t fit the billing as the first baseman of the future. Unlike Ewing and Benge, Clifford is a player who should be platooned. As a result, Vientos won’t be completely phased out. He should, for the most part, only play against lefties. Vientos is actually a plus-hitter versus southpaws, and with the lefty Melendez penciled in as the DH and lefty Clifford penciled in as the first baseman, there are clear runways to get him into games.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Starting Rotation

The rotation needs to see a change too. The strategy of using an opener in front of David Peterson is unsustainable, even if the short-term results are positive. There is a solid four of Nolan McLean, Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes and Christian Scott, but that fifth spot should go to Jack Wenninger. He’s carved at Triple-A, and while he doesn’t have the ceiling of a frontline starter, he might be the highest-probability MLB arm the Mets have in the minors. Wenninger should get an opportunity to establish himself as a mid-rotation starter at the MLB level.

The Mets are likely stuck with Sean Manaea, which is fine; he can remain in the bullpen for mop-up duty. What happens next with Kodai Senga is an absolute mystery, but for now, he’s not in the plans. As for Peterson, he’s not under contract next season, and after his performance thus far, doesn’t feel like he’ll be returning to the Mets. It’s time to either move him to the bullpen full-time or dump him. He could probably contribute as a multi-inning lefty out of the pen, but it also may be too many long men with him, Manaea and Tobias Myers.

If that’s the case, they could try to trade him. He won’t garner much of a return, but teams can always use starters. Maybe the Detroit Tigers, who have had so many pitching injuries this season, would give the Mets a low-level prospect for him. If they get no bites, then DFA him. He’s not in the plans, and he’s not contributing now. Wenninger deserves his chance, and the Mets still have plenty of depth behind him to cover for any future injuries.

Don’t waste any more time. The Mets should go with a rotation of McLean, Peralta, Holmes, Scott and Wenninger, and some variation of the following lineups:

Against RHP

1. CF Ewing
2. LF Soto
3. SS Bichette
4. DH Melendez
5. RF Benge
6. C Alvarez
7. 3B Baty
8. 2B Semien
9. 1B Clifford

Against LHP

1. CF Ewing
2. DH Soto
3. SS Bichette
4. 1B Vientos
5. RF Benge
6. C Alvarez
7. 2B Semien
8. 3B Baty
9. LF Taylor

When Lindor, Jorge Polanco and Robert Jr. eventually return, Melendez, Baty, Vientos and Taylor can all be phased out of the starting lineup. Clifford, too, if he’s not hitting, but the ideal scenario is Clifford hits and stays in the lineup as he and Polanco share first base and DH.

The Mets are bad. The offense isn’t hitting. They need to shake it up. If by the time trade deadline season comes around and this team still shows no signs of life, go all in down this path. Trade Peralta and Holmes, who both will be free agents at the end of the season (there is almost no scenario where Holmes doesn’t opt out of the one-year, $12 million remaining on his deal). Obviously, it would be incredibly unfortunate to trade Peralta after just acquiring him, but it’s better to accept reality than to live in denial. Give the rotation spots to Jonah Tong and another one of the young arms, like Zach Thornton or Jonathan Santucci, and lean into the young rotation. Let Benge, Ewing, Clifford, and ideally, Reimer and Nick Morabito have everyday playing time.

If nothing else, give fans a reason to watch. A team with young, exciting players in the lineup and on the mound gives fans hope for the future. It gives Mets fans a reason to turn on the game. Bullpen games with Slater and Ibáñez hitting in the heart of the order do not. It’s time for the next generation to get the keys.

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