Carson Benge broke out of a 1-for-23 slide Wednesday night, driving in two runs with RBI singles in the Mets' 4-2 win over the Reds at Citi Field. His fifth-inning hit snapped the slump and gave the Mets a needed boost in a game they finished with a short, clean edge.
He needed it. Before that cold stretch, Benge had been one of the few Mets bats with any real rhythm, hitting.413 across 10 games from May 10-20 after his average did not crack.200 until May 6. The rookie shaved his mustache to try to change his luck, and his swing has looked better for reasons that matter more than superstition: he has been catching up to pitches up in the zone and doing a better job handling the leadoff spot.
That is why Wednesday stood out. Benge has spent much of this season learning how major league pitching attacks him, and the adjustment has not always been smooth. He has also been asked to set the tone at the top of the order, a job that leaves little room to ease in. When the bat goes quiet for 23 at-bats, even a recent hot stretch can feel distant.
Still, the Mets have been waiting for signs that the approach is starting to hold. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Benge would show up the next day and be the same person and give his best, while Juan Soto called him aggressive with a really good swing and said he knows it. Benge backed that up by staying short and trying to put the ball in play rather than over-swinging, a formula he said has worked when he keeps fighting for every pitch and trying to be a tough out.
The larger picture is less tidy. The Mets have remained one of the worst offenses in baseball, so one good night from Benge does not solve much on its own. But it does matter that his best stretch has come in bursts, not by accident, and that he is beginning to show he can respond after a slump instead of letting one define him.
The Mets had their first day off Thursday in well over two weeks after a stretch that included a five-game losing streak, giving Benge and the rest of the lineup a pause before the next test. The question now is whether Wednesday was a reset or just another sharp note in a season still teaching him how to survive at this level.
