Carson Benge Shines with Five Hits in Mets’ Victory Over Padres

Carson Benge delivered a standout performance that showcased his potential as a rising star. After a slower start to his big-league career, the 23-year-old outfielder has found his rhythm, and Sunday’s game against the Padres was a testament to his progress. Benge became the third-youngest player in Mets history to record a 5-for-5 day, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished by a Mets rookie since Pete Alonso in 2019.

“Pretty impressive, it was really cool to see,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. Benge set the tone for the team with his aggressive approach at the plate, showcasing his ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field. Mendoza noted, “Rockets pretty much everywhere, using the middle of the field, staying short and on top of the ball — he set the tone for us and it was a good team win.”

Benge wasted no time making an impact, lining the fourth pitch of the game back up the middle and scoring the opening run just two batters later. He continued his offensive onslaught with singles to lead off both the third and fifth innings, the latter igniting a rally that ultimately chased pitcher Vásquez from the game.

His contributions didn’t stop there; Benge launched a homer during a left-on-left matchup in the sixth inning and later crushed an RBI triple down the right-field line with two outs in the top of the eighth. He finished the day with three runs scored, two RBIs, and came just a double shy of completing the cycle.

“Today was definitely nice,” Benge reflected. “It’s always nice to get two hits let alone five, so being able to do that today was definitely pretty special.” Since stepping into the leadoff spot for the shorthanded Mets, Benge has excelled, boasting a .316 batting average with five home runs and 20 RBIs since the beginning of May.

“I’m not surprised,” Mendoza added, praising Benge’s talent and composure. “We’ve seen the type of player and the talent and just the things he can do on a baseball field — he’s settling in, is comfortable, and is just going out and playing his game. We’re going to see a lot of games like that moving forward where he’s just totally locked in and he’s doing a lot of things to help us win baseball games — he’s just a special player.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.