Carson Benge by Roberto Carlo

Carson Benge Sets New Mets Record

Bullpen Holds the Phillies

Francisco Alvarez Contributes with Big Home Run

Player of the Game: Carson Benge

On Deck

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New York left nine men on base and went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position in a 2-1 loss Monday to the Orioles (73-78) in front of a home crowd that showed a lot of love for the franchise’s home run king.

Alonso received warm ovations, a pre-game tribute video, and tipped his helmet to the fans before flying out to right in his first at-bat as a visitor in Queens. He finished 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Gunnar Henderson hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the eighth inning off of Dedniel Núñez (1-1).

The Mets (69-81) had chances. Marcus Semien grounded out with runners at first and second to end the fifth.  Jared Young did the same in the third. Francisco Alvarez struck out with the bases loaded to end the second.

In his second start since returning to the majors, Jonah Tong allowed one unearned run on four hits over a career-high-tying six innings. He struck out six and walked one. One year and two days ago, Tong started when Jacob deGrom returned to Citi Field as a Ranger. In that start, Tong gave up six earned runs and didn’t escape the first inning.

Jonathan Pintaro threw a scoreless seventh. Kodai Senga allowed two hits, but struck out the side in a scoreless ninth.

A.J. Ewing tied the game at 1-1 with a solo homer (10) in the fourth. He became the 11th Met with 10 or more homers this season, a team record.

Heston Kjerstad drove in a run in the second when his hard ground ball took a bad hop and eluded first baseman Brett Baty for a two-out double. Jackson Holliday, who had advanced to second on Alvarez’s major league-leading 10th passed ball, scored.

Brandon Young allowed one run on five hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked five.

“New York is always going to feel like some sort of homecoming because for me the city is really special,” Alonso said before the game.

“Two things can be true at the same time,” he said. “I’m very happy and appreciative of my time I spent as a Met, and I’m beyond grateful and appreciative for the Baltimore Orioles.”

Stat of the Game

Alonso and Francisco Lindor both stayed stuck on 299 career homers. The only time two players hit No. 300 in the same game was when Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko did it back-to-back for the 2009 White Sox.

Player of the Game

Tong has struck out 13 and walked two in two September starts. In three MLB appearances earlier this season before he was sent to the minors, he struck out seven and walked seven.

On Deck

MLB will celebrate Roberto Clemente Day. Every player will wear a No. 21 patch on his jersey. Sean Manaea (5-7, 4.79 ERA) will try to break a string of five consecutive starts where he has allowed four earned runs or more. RHP Shane Baz (6-15, 4.05 ERA), who is tied with Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee for the MLB lead in losses, goes for Baltimore. The game is at 7:10 p.m. ET on SNY.

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He got Otto Lopez, who is second in the National League in hits behind Luis Arraez, to fly to center. Agustin Ramirez grounded out and Javier Sanoja struck out swinging at an 88 mph slider. Kodai Senga handled the ninth, allowing a run, but earning his seventh save in the 7-5 win. MMO’s Brandyn Pokrass was in Miami to file a recap.

The Mets (67-78) have won three in a row and, in a reversal from last season, dealt a blow to Miami’s playoff hopes, dropping them six games back of Arizona for the last Wild Card spot.

Núñez is rolling. It was his eighth straight scoreless appearance, a stretch covering 8 1/3 innings during which he’s allowed three hits, struck out eight and thrown 66 of 87 pitches for strikes. He hasn’t walked a batter this year. In three seasons and 58 1/3 career innings, he’s struck out 72 and walked 14.

The 30-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic returned to the big leagues on Aug. 5 after an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery cut his 2025 season short after only 9 2/3 innings.

Núñez was touched for two earned runs by the Pirates in his second appearance and served up back-to-back homers to Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley of the Braves in his next outing. Manny Machado took him deep on Aug. 18, and then he started stacking scoreless frames. His ERA for the season is at 3.95 over 13 2/3 innings.

Núñez has been a key cog in a new-look bullpen that has gone 9-3 with eight saves and pitched to a 3.36 ERA (ninth in MLB) over 112 1/3 innings since the trade deadline. The Mets dealt Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter and Huascar Brazobán for prospects. Closer Devin Williams was spared, but has been out since Aug. 7 with a shoulder injury.

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Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Luis Robert’s Power Shows in Chicago

While in Chicago, Robert’s talent and potential were never a question. It was health and staying consistent. The Mets took a chance on him in the offseason, and unfortunately, Robert missed more time due to injury. For Robert, it’s key to finish the season strong, and on Saturday, he was big against his former team. In the top of the third inning with the Mets up 2-1, Robert took a Luis Castillo fastball to the opposite field for a two-run home run to extend the Mets’ lead. The ball was hit at 108.8 MPH.

Then, in the top of the seventh inning, Robert put the cherry on top of a big night with a monstrous solo home run off former Mets pitcher Huascar Brazoban. That gave the Mets an 8-5 lead. So far in his return to Chicago, Robert has three hits, two home runs, and has been on base four times in this series. 

Benge Hits the Wall, Then Hits One Over the Wall

Carson Benge has been the Mets’ hottest hitter as of late and is continuing to make his case for National League Rookie of the Year. Benge showed some toughness and resilience during the win. In the bottom of the third inning, Tristan Peters hit a fly ball deep to right field. Benge moved back and leaped to catch it, but he hit the wall face-first, and the ball went over the wall for a home run due to the momentum. The Mets checked on Benge, and he stayed in the game and continued to play.

Later, Benge faced the left-hander Tyler Schweitzer in the top of the fifth inning, and he hit his 16th home run of the season over the right-field wall. 105.5 off the bat of Benge. It was part of a three-hit day for the Mets rookie, including an RBI single in the top of the first inning to give the Mets an early lead. 

Mets Bullpen Picks Up Scott 

It wasn’t the prettiest outing for Scott. He struggled with command of his sweeper and only went 4 2/3 innings pitched and allowed four earned runs and walked four. He left the game after allowing a run to score on a bases-loaded walk, and Jonathan Pintaro came in to try and limit the damage. Pintaro struck out Colson Montgomery to get out of it. After Pintaro allowed a home run to Sam Antonacci in the bottom of the sixth, it was Austin Warren‘s turn. Warren allowed no runs in 1 2/3 innings and was the winning pitcher. 

Dedniel Nunez pitched a scoreless eighth inning, which set the stage for more Kodai Senga in the ninth. Once again for Senga, it was a tough outing, even with a 10-5 lead. Senga labored through the inning by allowing a walk and a hit to begin. However, he battled, got Braden Montgomery swinging for a strikeout, followed by striking out Colson Montgomery. Senga got a groundout from Chase Meidroth to close it out for the Mets.

Player of the Game: Luis Robert

Robert delivered the keynote for the Mets with his two home runs in the game.

On Deck

The Mets will start Nolan McLean for the Mets on Sunday afternoon. The White Sox have yet to name a starter. The game will start at 2:10 pm EDT and will be televised locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ 880AM.

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Photo by Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports

Lindor’s Strong Second Half Continues 

A lot of attention has been on Lindor about his future with the team. While that question will have to be answered in the offseason, his bat is helping his case to the Mets. Lindor reached base three times in the game and notched two hits. The second hit was the one that sent the Mets off with a win. The inning started with a walk by Brett Baty against Yovanny Cruz. Jorge Polanco, who had been really struggling, singled. Francisco Alvarez lined a double down the left field line to tie the game. With runners on second and third and one out after AJ Ewing struck out, Lindor took a step to the plate.

On a 1-2 count, Lindor lined a hit right over the head of Dylan Crews that scored the winning run and propelled the Mets to another win. It was New York’s sixth walk-off hit of the season. As for Lindor, while his defense still has room for improvement, his offense has picked up.

Dedniel Nunez and Jefry Yan Comes Through Out of The Pen

Sean Manaea pitched solidly through 6 1/3 innings, but two home runs, including a go-ahead three-run home run to Brady House, hurt him. That homer gave the Nationals a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning. However, the bullpen stepped up again and picked up Manaea and gave the Mets offense a chance to come back. On Saturday, it was Dedniel Nunez and Jefry Yan‘s turn. Nunez came in for Manaea with one out in the seventh inning and a runner on third base. Nunez got Crews to fly out to Carson Benge in right field, who then proceeded to throw out runner Andrew Pinckey at home to keep it a one-run game.

Yan came in for Nunez with a runner on first and one out in the eighth inning. He struck out Harry Ford to end the eighth, and then he struck out two more batters in the ninth inning. Which led to the Citi Field crowd to see his leaping strikeout celebration for the first time live.

Big Day for Carson Benge

Benge didn’t just make a big play with his defense late in the game. He also made an impact with his bat. With the Mets down 4-2 in the sixth inning, Benge launched a solo home run to make the deficit to a one-run game. His 14th home run of the year had an exit velocity of 98.6 mph and traveled 372 feet. Benge also drew two walks on the day and scored a run, as his OPS continues to tick up.

Player of the Game: Francisco Lindor

Lindor reached base three times, recorded two hits, and walked it off with an RBI hit to complete the Mets’ comeback in the ninth inning.

On Deck:

Christian Scott will take the mound for the Mets on Sunday afternoon against Jake Irvin. The game will start at 1:40pm EDT and will be telecast locally on SNY and broadcast on WHSQ 880AM.

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After putting up eight runs in the series opener, the Mets managed just three runs the rest of the series. Consequently, they dropped the series after losing the final two games against the Braves.

It was inevitable that the Mets would come back to earth following the recent hot streak. The offense still features the same old flaws, while the bullpen was always going to regress.

Therefore, the Mets finished up the road trip 6-3. That’s impressive coming off the back of the Trade Deadline selloff, but the trip did end on a bit of a whimper.

On that note, let’s dive into the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Jun 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

3 UP

SAVE CITY

Has Kodai Senga stumbled into a new role? The starter turned reliever got given the ball for the ninth inning of the series opener. In a high-leverage spot, he retired the Braves in order, including striking out big hitters Matt Olson and Michael Harris II. As a result, Senga earned his first career save. With five strikeouts and just two baserunners allowed over his last three outings, it is possible that Senga is more suited to a high-leverage role at this point. His stuff certainly plays better over just one inning. There is now an opportunity for Senga to further impress in a new role and perhaps cement his place in the bullpen for 2027.

POWER UP

Brett Baty played a major role in the Mets’ only win of this series. The infielder took full advantage of Braves’ starter Bryce Elder‘s struggles. Baty delivered what proved to be the hammer blow, launching a two-out grand slam in the first inning. It was Baty’s first career grand slam, and the blast changed the entire tenor of the game. It is important for Baty to finish this season strong to prove that he has a role to play, and this was a very good start.

EFFICIENT OUTING

Nolan McLean did exactly what he needed to on Tuesday. The righty allowed just one run over six stellar innings, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth. He only struck out three hitters – his second-lowest total this year – but he also needed just 85 pitches to get through his start. McLean mixed his pitches exceptionally well, helping to keep the Braves lineup off balance. It has been impressive to watch McLean adjust on the fly this year, and he showed again on Tuesday why he’s the future ace of this team.

Jun 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) walks off the field after breaking his bat over his knee after striking out to end the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

STRIKING OUT

The opener aside, the Mets struggled because of an inability to find the big hit in the key moment. The offense was shutout on Tuesday, striking out five times while going 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, leaving five runners stranded on base. Then, in the series finale, the lineup struck out nine times while leaving five runners stranded. That included leaving runners on the corners in the ninth inning. The Mets had plenty of chances to do damage on Wednesday alone, but just couldn’t land the killer blow. As a result, they found themselves on the wrong end of a disappointing series loss.

MELTING DOWN

The bullpen wasn’t great in this series, highlighted by Dedniel Núñez‘s continued struggles. The veteran melted down during the series finale, allowing three earned runs on three hits. That implosion totally changed the tenor of the game in the Braves’ favor. Núñez has now given up seven runs – five earned – over his last three outings. Maybe these struggles can be attributed to Núñez building himself back up following injury. Regardless, unless he rights the ship soon, Núñez could find himself out of the bullpen.

STUCK IN A FUNK

Lost in the background of the offense’s recent outbursts has been the continued struggles of Francisco Alvarez. The catcher recorded only two hits in this series while striking out five times. He also wasn’t good when it came to situational hitting, leaving a pair of runners stranded in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s game. It continues a worrying trend for Alvarez, who is now hitting just .200/.364/.343/.707 with 15 strikeouts over his last 11 games. That isn’t good, and the lack of consistency remains a very real concern.

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The Mets (53-69) scored 50 runs over the first seven games away from Citi Field, but a day after getting shutout they fell to the Braves 6-3 to lose the three-game series. Tyler Mahle (4-9) threw six innings of one-run ball a day after Martín Pérez tossed six scoreless frames.

Bo Bichette homered (12) to lead off the ninth and after Carson Benge doubled and Luis Robert Jr. walked, the Mets had the tying run to the plate. Jared Young grounded into a force play, Francisco Alvarez fouled out and Marcus Semien grounded out to end the game.

Robert hit a solo homer (6) in the seventh to bring New York within 3-2 an inning after Luis Torrens got the Mets on the board with his third homer in his last four starts and fifth for the season. But Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley hit back-to-back solo homers off of Dedniel Núñez in the seventh to extend Atlanta’s lead and Drake Baldwin added an RBI single off of Jefry Yan.

Zac Thornton (3-3), looking to solidify a spot in the 2027 rotation, allowed three earned runs on seven hits over six innings to raise his ERA to 2.78. The 24-year-old struck out two and walked one. He got an 87 mph cutter up to Lane Thomas in the second and it was hit 412 feet to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.

The Braves added a run in the third when Matt Olson grounded into a double play and another in the fifth on a Ronald Acuña Jr. single.

Stats of the Game

Thornton has gone at least six innings in four of his eight starts. He has struck out 29 and walked 13 in 45 1/3 innings.

The Mets are 19-22 under Andy Green.

Player of the Game

Benge went 2-for-4 with a double and has reached safely in 16 straight. The 23-year-old rookie is 22-for-61 (.361 batting average) with two homers during the stretch and is slashing .274/.335/.413 for the year.

On Deck

The Mets are off Thursday. They start a six-game homestand (Nationals and Padres) on Friday with Robert Stock (0-2, 10.13 ERA) on the mound against rookie LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-3, 3.76 ERA) at 7:10 p.m. ET on WPIX.

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Coming off the Trade Deadline, the new-look Mets hit the road and are currently an impressive 5-1 before opening up a series in Atlanta on Monday.

After sweeping the Guardians, the Mets went into Pittsburgh and continued to be a lot of fun to watch on the way to taking two out of three from the Pirates.

While wins and losses hold little import right now, it is still encouraging to see things click for this team. Most notably, the offense seems to be putting things together. While the young players are leading the charge, the veterans are also producing at a high level.

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

Jun 3, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Mets shortstop Bo Bichette (19) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

3 UP

BACK FROM THE BRINK

Sean Manaea is weaving quite the comeback story. Following some prolonged struggles, in which the veteran appeared to be a faded force, a new dawn could now be on the horizon. Manaea has done nothing but pay back the Mets’ faith in him after being inserted back into the starting rotation. That culminated in a truly stellar outing on Sunday. On the mound for the series finale, Manaea dazzled, twirling seven innings of one-run ball with three hits, no walks, and 11 strikeouts. Manaea has found a lot of success with his four-seam fastball, while his velocity keeps ticking up. Whether this is sustainable long-term given Manaea’s age remains to be seen. But, for right now, the lefty is the starter the Mets need and hoped he would be.

FINISHING STRONG

On the subject of renaissances, how about this offense?! Other than laying an egg on Saturday, the Mets have been red-hot offensively since the Trade Deadline. Over a six-game span, the lineup has now scored a whopping total of 42 runs. That averages out to seven runs a game, which is the best mark in the National League. More notably, the Mets are getting contributions from up and down the lineup. Marcus Semien stayed hot with four RBIs in Pittsburgh. Jared Young went 3-for-5 with a triple on Sunday. Headlining an 11-run outburst in the finale, Luis Robert Jr. drove in four RBIs. And Bo Bichette led the way with a perfect 5-for-5 day. Of course, the two rookie outfielders also produced in a big way, but more on them next.

FUN DRIVERS

The Mets are a lot of fun to watch right now. That has a lot to do with Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing. The dynamic duo was instrumental in the Pirates series win. Benge went 2-for-2 with two RBIs on Friday, while also making a stunning catch in the field. Granted, the rookie missed Saturday’s game after hurting his wrist during that play. However, he was back in the lineup on Sunday and went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a walk. As for Ewing, the outfielder reached base in all three games, headlined by a 3-for-4 performance in the opener. He also made a slew of big plays in the field. Overall, both Benge and Ewing underlined their growing importance to this franchise.

Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

OFFENSIVE DUD

As good as the offense was in Pittsburgh, Saturday proved to be a day to forget. The lineup was a non-factor, mustering just three hits all game. Granted, it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Still, it just goes to show that this offense has its flaws. Plus, the no-show denied the Mets a chance to sweep a flailing Pirates team.

STOCK TRENDING DOWN

Saturday was just an all-around bad day for the Mets. Not only did the offense fail to show, but the starting pitching also struggled. Robert Stock was not good, getting shelled for eight earned runs on nine hits and five walks over three miserable innings. In other words, Stock didn’t give his team a chance from the start. With a chance to impress, the righty whiffed in a big way.

UNHAPPY RETURN

Dedniel Núñez‘s long-awaited return from Tommy John surgery hasn’t exactly been smooth. The reliever has struggled since being called back up to the big leagues, including over the weekend. Núñez gave up a pair of runs in Friday’s series opener, allowing the Pirates back into the game. As a result, Núñez has now given up four runs – two earned – in his two outings since coming off the IL. The Mets will hope it is just rust and not anything more sinister.

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New York was down to its last out in the ninth when Jorge Polanco doubled, Marcus Semien walked and and A.J. Ewing bounced a ball up the middle that shortstop Brayan Rocchio couldn’t handle, allowing the tying run to score.

Chayce McDermott (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings to earn his first career win. The Mets (49-66) are 9-9 since the All-Star break.

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Jared Young botched a routine grounder to first in the seventh with the Mets up 4-3 and it led to two unearned runs off of Dedniel Núñez, who was making his season debut after returning from Tommy John surgery. Núñez allowed back-to-back, two-out RBI singles to Patrick Bailey and Angel Genao.

Ewing took a bad route on a catchable Nathaniel Lowe line drive to left-center in the fourth and it turned into a double and put runners on second and third with nobody out. Travis Bazzana followed with an RBI single off Christian Scott.

Scott gave up three runs on six hits over five innings, struck out seven and walked two. He has struck out 92 in 74 1/3 innings over 16 starts. He entered the game in the 89th percentile for strikeout percentage.

Brett Baty (7) and Jorge Polanco (2) hit back-to-back solo homers in the third off Tanner Bibee, Young added an RBI double in the fourth and Carson Benge (13) homered in the sixth, his second blast in as many nights.

Jefry Yan threw a scoreless inning in an adventurous major-league debut. He struck out his first batter, celebrated with his signature leap, but then gave up two singles and a walk to load the bases. He struck out Chase DeLauter on a check swing and someone from the Guardians bench was ejected arguing the call. He got Jo Adell to ground out to preserve a 4-3 lead.

Stats of the Game

The teams combined for five errors and five unearned runs.

Francisco Lindor went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, including one with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth with the game tied at 5.

The Mets hit three homers for the second straight night. Luis Torrens and Bichette joined Benge on Tuesday.

Cleveland’s Genao went 4-for-5 in his MLB debut. He was the the first debuting player to get four hits in Cleveland history, which dates to 1901.

Player of the Game

Polanco went 2-for-4 with the homer and a double. It was his first two-hit game since April 7.

On Deck

The Mets will go for the sweep. Nolan McLean (7-7, 3.29 ERA) will face Foster Griffin (12-3, 3.06 ERA), who will be making his first start for Cleveland after being acquired from the Nationals on Monday. It is a 1:10 p.m. ET start on SNY.

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On June 25, Núñez began his rehab assignment with St. Lucie and has made it back to Triple-A Syracuse. He is still listed on the 60-day injured list despite it being more than 30 days since his initial rehab assignment began. Pitchers who underwent Tommy John surgery can get up to 30 additional days of rehab in ten day increments with approval from the commissioner’s office, so that means Núñez has to either return at the latest date of August 24 if they were to use all 60 days. 40 days would put them at the August 4 trade deadline.

Throughout his rehab, Núñez has thrown 12 innings to a 4.50 ERA and 1.33 WHIP, but has looked better in Triple-A with a 3.38 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. That said, we know better than to just rely on an eight-inning sample of ERA against lesser talent than he will face in the majors, so how do his pitches actually look?

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Dedniel Núñez’s Pitch Metrics

The first thing that stands out is that his velocity is right in line with where it was in 2024. His fastball in Triple-A has averaged 95.6 mph and his slider has averaged 87.4 mph. He has also worked in a 90.9 mph changeup. His overall movement profile looks pretty similar to 2024, though he is generating slightly more ride with his fastball.

The one concern is that his spin rates are down significantly from 2024. His slider has lost over 200 rpm of spin and his fastball has lost almost 150. His spin rates have been climbing as he has thrown more with the major league baseball though – in his last three outings, his slider was down 170 rpm from 2024 and his fastball was down 115. Ideally, these spin rates will continue to get closer to where they were before his surgery.

All of this has led to a very strong 41.8% whiff rate, 40.8% chase rate, and zero hard hit balls so far. Recently, he has been attacking the zone more, has done an up-down, and has pitched on back-to-back days.

All of these are good signs that Núñez is heading in the right direction.

What’s Next for Núñez?

As mentioned before, Núñez theoretically can rehab for a few more weeks. As it stands, he can stay down until the trade deadline without needing an extension. That could line up perfectly for him to replace a reliever the Mets may trade. The remainder of 2026 will be a good, low-pressure environment for Núñez to get the rust off and prepare to ideally be an impact piece in the Mets’ 2027 bullpen. It will also give the Mets a chance to evaluate how he looks post-surgery as they plan for how the bullpen will be structured next season.

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