In a game that had everything—drama, redemption, and a dash of rookie magic—Carson Benge delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning to give the New York Mets a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. The win was especially sweet for the 23-year-old rookie, who earlier in the game had to shake off a costly misplay that put his team in an early hole.
The night started rough for Benge. In the first inning, he dropped what should have been a routine catchable fly ball from Dillon Dingler near the right-field warning track, allowing it to fall for a double. Riley Greene followed with a two-run single off starter Christian Scott, putting the Mets in a 2-0 hole before they even had a chance to swing the bats.
But true to the resilient spirit of New York baseball, the Mets fought back. Tyrone Taylor drove in a run with an RBI groundout in the second inning off Tigers starter Framber Valdez, who was making his first start since returning from a five-game suspension for intentionally hitting Boston's Trevor Story with a pitch. Then, in the seventh, Bo Bichette tied the game with a bloop RBI single off reliever Kyle Finnegan, setting the stage for late-inning heroics.
The drama didn't stop there. The Mets also had to navigate the loss of superstar Juan Soto, who exited the game in the seventh inning after fouling a pitch off the top of his right ankle four innings earlier. Manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that X-rays came back negative, a sigh of relief for Mets fans everywhere.
With the game tied 2-2 in the 10th, Benge stepped to the plate looking for redemption. He found it in a big way, lacing a sharp one-out single to center field that easily scored automatic runner A.J. Ewing—who had made his own debut just the night before. The hit was Benge's first career walk-off, and it couldn't have come at a better time, especially after he had been thrown out at the plate in the seventh inning on a delayed double steal, a play that could have deflated a lesser competitor.
On the mound, Brooks Raley earned the win (1-1) after a tense 10th inning that saw him walk Matt Vierling with two outs before inducing a flyout from Wenceel Pérez to end the threat. Starter Christian Scott pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs while striking out five. Despite the strong effort, Scott remains winless in 13 major league starts, tying a frustrating record with Colorado's Jon Gray for the most consecutive starts without a win to open a career.
For the Mets, the win was a testament to resilience—both from their rookie star and the team as a whole. As they look ahead to Thursday's matchup, with Tigers right-hander Keider Montero (2-2, 3.18 ERA) facing Mets righty Nolan McLean (1-2, 2.78 ERA), they'll carry the momentum of a comeback that reminded everyone why baseball is a game of second chances.