New York Mets rookie Carson Benge overcame what happened in right field and responded with one of his strongest offensive games of the season during Saturday night’s 10-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
The frightening moment occurred when Benge chased a deep fly ball hit by White Sox rookie Tristan Peters. The 23-year-old struggled to get a clean read initially before racing back toward the warning track. He got his glove to the ball, but collided with the chain-link fence, causing the ball to pop out and clear the wall for a home run.
Benge was briefly evaluated by the Mets’ trainers but was able to remain in the game. He later admitted he misjudged the ball but felt fine once the initial adrenaline faded.
“I didn’t get the best read on it. Can’t always be perfect,” Benge said. He explained that he was moving quickly toward the wall when he secured the ball in his glove, only for it to come loose upon impact. His first reaction was frustration when he realized the ball was gone, but he soon recognized that he was not seriously hurt.
Benge quickly put the defensive mishap behind him at the plate. Leading off the fifth inning, he launched his 16th home run of the season, a solo shot off Tyler Schweitzer that gave the Mets a 5-3 advantage and sparked a three-run inning. Eric Wagaman and Marcus Semien followed with RBI singles.
The rookie finished 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base, recording his first three-hit performance since Aug. 6. He entered the contest batting .356/.406/.610 with four home runs and 11 RBI over his previous 15 games. His August numbers had also been impressive, with a .308 batting average and .905 OPS entering Saturday.
New York’s offense continued to pour it on, hitting five home runs in the win. Luis Robert Jr. contributed two of them, while Bo Bichette and Luis Torrens each added a homer. The victory marked the Mets’ 12th win in their last 17 games since the trade deadline.
