Benge 'kind of blacked out' after belting first HR for first MLB hit

NEW YORK -- Carson Benge’s Major League debut at Citi Field included the usual jitters, as well as a home run ball, a golden retriever and the support of nearly two dozen family members. Oh, and a dead bird.

It was that kind of afternoon for Benge, who showcased many of the features the Mets adore about him in an 11-7 win over the Pirates on Thursday. After striking out in his first two career plate appearances, Benge walked twice and homered in his final three trips to the plate, finishing with an indelible memory and a souvenir baseball.

“It means the world, you know?” Benge said. “Having all the people that have sacrificed so much for me come up and watch that happen … I just got chills that this is where I’m supposed to be.”

Benge, the Mets’ No. 2 prospect and No. 16 overall in baseball, made the team’s Opening Day roster in large part because of a dynamic Spring Training that saw him bat .366 over 14 Grapefruit League games. But the 23-year-old did not show much power in those games, producing just two extra-base hits and no home runs. Mets officials largely ignored it, knowing Benge’s power would surface if he continued working deep counts, showcasing a strong two-strike approach and letting his natural talent do the rest.

That’s exactly what happened in the sixth inning on Opening Day, when Benge smoked a Justin Lawrence sweeper over the fence in right-center field. The ball bounced off an overhang in the home bullpen and landed in the visitors’ bullpen, resulting in an easy-to-retrieve souvenir that he plans to give to his parents.

“I kind of blacked out running around the bases,” Benge said, laughing. “I don’t really remember too much. I know I got it good off the bat, but [I was] running hard out of the box, definitely.”

“That was awesome,” new teammate Bo Bichette added. “He let it out rounding first, too, so that was cool.”

Earlier in the game, Mets director of hitting Jeff Albert noted, Benge had swung under multiple fastballs, resulting in two strikeouts. Back in the dugout, the rookie told himself to “calm down,” drawing upon an innate ability to adjust. When Benge finally homered, manager Carlos Mendoza was among the first to greet him.

“It’s fun here,” Mendoza told the rookie as the crowd roared around them.

“You’re right,” Benge grinned, before exiting the dugout for a curtain call.

In homering, Benge joined Kazuo Matsui as the only Mets to go deep in their big league debuts on Opening Day. He also became the 17th player in franchise history to homer for his first career hit, and the third Met to reach base three or more times in an Opening Day debut.

“I’ve seen him drive the ball. I’ve seen him basically do everything in the Minors. I’ve seen him make adjustments. I’ve seen the confidence.” Albert said. “So I know it’s in there, and this is a guy with a lot of skills. So seeing him obviously get the home run was great, but he also worked that walk. There’s a lot of different things he can do to help you win, so it’s definitely cool to see him pull it off.”

Albert wasn’t the only one who noticed. Benge had 22 guests in attendance, including his parents, his girlfriend, her family members and other friends. After the game, they all gathered on the field, where Benge greeted them (reserving some attention for a rambunctious golden retriever, who received a belly rub from the rookie). That was Benge’s second animal encounter of the afternoon. Midway through the game, fans began chanting at Benge, imploring him to pick up a dead bird that had fallen on the field -- a request he understandably declined.

For Benge, it was all part of the experience -- the fans, the atmosphere, the curtain call and of course the homer.

“It was amazing,” Benge said. “The crowd was the loudest I’ve ever heard, times five. So being able to hear that was pretty sick.”