NEW YORK -- In the two days A.J. Ewing has been in the Majors, Carson Benge said, “I’ve already been treating him like a rookie.” That may seem rich coming from Benge, a rookie himself with all of 39 games of Major League experience. But even in that scant amount of time, Benge has experienced many of the highs and lows the top level of this sport has to offer.
Take Wednesday, for example. In the first inning at Citi Field, Benge -- one of the most skilled defenders in the Mets organization -- flat-out missed a Dillon Dingler line drive to right, resulting in a double and a two-run Tigers rally. In the seventh, he was thrown out at home on a botched double-steal attempt, largely because he self-admittedly broke too passively toward the plate. Yet neither of those mistakes sunk the Mets.
Instead, Benge came up clutch in the 10th, grounding a walk-off single up the middle to drive home -- who else? -- Ewing in a 3-2 win over the Tigers. The victory clinched a third series win for the Mets in their last four tries.
“It’s good to see it, because there’s so much learning that goes on before games, in games,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s the perfect example. He comes in, he gets an opportunity, gets the single and we get the ‘W.’”
It certainly helped that after Christian Scott coughed up two runs in the first following Benge’s misplay, he and a quartet of Mets relievers fired nine consecutive scoreless innings. Benge contributed to the Mets’ comeback along the way, singling and stealing a base in the third inning, then singling again off lefty Framber Valdez to set up Bo Bichette’s game-tying hit in the seventh.
Benge only slightly fouled that moment when he broke late toward the plate on a planned double steal, resulting in a relatively easy out at home.
“It’s baseball,” he said. “It’s going to happen. It happens to the best of us. So being able to try and get the next play, try and get the next out, the next pitch, just really helps me keep my head on straight.”
Benge certainly did so. As soon as Ewing -- his friend and teammate from their shared time in the Minors -- made the last out of the ninth inning, Benge began thinking about the benefit of having Ewing’s speed in scoring position as the automatic runner to begin the bottom of the 10th. Sure enough, that made things easier. After Luis Torrens struck out to open that half of the inning, Benge’s single scored Ewing without a play at the plate.
“It felt amazing,” Benge said of his first career walk-off. “Definitely a first. Indescribable.”
That Benge and Ewing were even in the starting lineup was a function of Mendoza’s trust in them. Until this week, Mendoza typically played the matchup game against lefties like Valdez, frequently benching Benge in favor of his right-handed teammates. That changed on Wednesday, when he penciled Benge in at the leadoff spot and Ewing in the eight-hole, reasoning: “There’s only one way to find out. You’ve got to give them opportunities.”
It was a notable amount of trust in both Benge, who owned a .498 OPS as recently as the morning of May 3, and Ewing, who had been in the Majors for precisely one day. But if the Mets want to shake off their early-season issues and make a serious run at a playoff spot, they know, they will need significant contributions from their younger players. That’s especially true now, with nearly half their starting lineup on the injured list.
So Benge and Ewing will continue playing most days going forward, especially if the wins keep coming. Since May 3, Benge is batting .387 with a 1.038 OPS, hitting safely in eight of his nine games. The Mets are 6-3 over that stretch, which is no coincidence. Ewing, meanwhile, has walked four times in two big league contests, while also tripling, stealing a base, driving home two runs and scoring thrice.
Regular celebrations in the home clubhouse have followed, featuring pumping music and, as Benge put it, “definitely way better” vibes.
“You’re obviously having a lot more fun when you’re winning baseball games,” Scott said.
“I feel like we’re all just putting all the pieces together, slowly, game by game,” added Benge. “And I feel like it’s just a matter of time before it all clicks.”