What a night at Citi Field! Carson Benge turned a defensive hiccup into a walk-off hero moment, delivering a clutch hit in the tenth inning to seal a series victory over the Detroit Tigers. After an early miscue allowed two Tigers runs to cross the plate, Benge made amends in the biggest way possible—sending the home crowd home happy. Now, the Mets are eyeing a series sweep this afternoon, with Nolan McLean taking the mound looking for his first home win of the season.
The feel-good win came with a scare, though. Juan Soto exited early after fouling a ball off his foot, but x-rays came back negative, and he's considered day-to-day. A bit of drama also unfolded at the plate when the home plate umpire charged an ABS challenge to Brett Baty—without Baty asking for one. Controversy aside, the Mets are riding high.
Before the game, the team announced a tough blow: catcher Francisco Alvarez has been placed on the IL with a torn meniscus in his right knee and will miss at least six to eight weeks. That leaves a big hole behind the plate, and the Mets are scrambling to find the right replacement. Options are on the table, but it's a critical gap to fill as the season heats up.
In other Mets news, former fan-favorite John Franco threw out the first pitch on Italian Heritage Night—though his throw went a bit awry. And with a potential LIRR strike looming during this weekend's Subway Series, the Mets have already put a contingency plan in place to keep fans moving.
Around the league, the Braves became the first team to reach 30 wins this season, topping the Cubs 4-1. Marlins prospect Robby Snelling's major league debut was bittersweet—he's now on the IL with a UCL strain. The Marlins offense powered past the Twins 9-5, while the Phillies fell to the Red Sox 3-1 despite a solid start from Andrew Painter. The Nationals edged the Reds 8-7 in extras thanks to a go-ahead homer from Daylen Lile. Yankees lefty Max Fried exited early against the Orioles and will undergo tests on his left elbow. The Cubs signed veteran reliever Liam Hendriks to a minor league deal, and Rockies left fielder Jack McCarthy turned an unassisted double play—a rare gem on the diamond.
Stay tuned for today's series finale, and as always, keep repping your Mets gear as we ride this wave of momentum!