NEW YORK -- Did the Padres read the scouting reports on Mets right fielder Carson Benge?
Apparently not, even after the Mets’ victory over the Nationals Saturday, when Benge threw out outfielder Andrew Pinckney to end the seventh inning.
San Diego decided to run on him twice in the first inning of Monday's game against the Mets, and Benge threw out both of them on back-to-back plays, becoming the first player in franchise history to throw out two runners at home in the same inning. Those putouts proved pivotal in helping New York nab the series opener, 2-1, at Citi Field.
With runners on first and second, one out and Mets right-hander Nolan McLean on the mound, Ty France singled to right-center field. Jake Cronenworth attempted to score from second, but he was easily thrown out at the plate by Benge, whose throw clocked in at 99.9 mph.
Lesson learned, right? Wrong.
Jackson Merrill followed with another single out to Benge in right, and apparently Padres third-base coach Bob Henley didn’t figure it out yet. He waved Manny Machado around from second, and San Diego's third baseman met the same fate as Cronenworth, with Benge's 103.9 mph throw beating him to the plate by more than a few feet.
That was the third-hardest outfield assist tracked by Statcast (since 2015), behind only Aaron Hicks (105.5 mph in 2016) and Brett Phillips (104.0 mph in 2017). Benge is the first player with two outfield assists at 99-plus mph in an inning since Statcast began tracking, and only the second to do so in a single game (Bradley Zimmer in 2017). He came into Monday ranked seventh in arm strength (average of top 10% of throws, minimum 50 to qualify) among outfielders at 95.5 mph, though he will move up after his two rocket assists.
Of his assists, Benge liked the second one even though both throws prevented a run from scoring. Benge was not surprised that Machado ran on his arm.
“I just looked up and threw the ball. I’m not worried that they are running or not,” Benge said. “I try to throw as hard as I can to be able to make them stop or get them out. … I feel like anytime anyone makes a good throw to end an inning or have a quicker out, it shifts the momentum in our favor.”
Benge now has nine assists this season, which ranks fourth in the Majors behind Andy Pages (13), Wilyer Abreu (12) and Steven Kwan (10).
“He is a special athlete,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said. “He is really confident. He really feels good about it. It’s been ridiculous, honestly. It just doesn’t happen at this rate. You don’t get these opportunities, and you don’t execute perfectly the way he has every time.”
Green then credited the Mets' Minor League coaches for helping Benge become a Gold Glove-caliber defender.
“David Adams [field and gameplay coordinator] and Jonathan Jones [outfield/baserunning] worked so hard with him, speeding up his release,” Green said. “[Benge] always had the arm strength and he has really picked up on how quickly he gets rid of the ball. That turns into a different kind of elite. The same can be said about A.J. Ewing down in the Minor Leagues.”
Ewing joined the defensive clinic an inning later, recording another out at home plate.
With the bases loaded and no outs in the third, Luis Rengifo grounded back to McLean, who threw home to get Luis Campusano on a force play. Two batters later, Cronenworth singled to left and Ewing threw a one-hop strike to catcher Francisco Alvarez to get a sliding Xander Bogaerts to end the inning.
“Credit to them, they made some really good throws to home plate,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “We had three chances to score and they got us for every single one. Our mentality is to be aggressive on the basepaths, make the other team make a play. Tonight, they made the plays.”
Said Green, “Without those kids in the corners, we don’t win that game. Nolan McLean doesn’t get to settle in and pitch six strong innings for us. That game could have spun wildly differently without them playing the outfield so well.”
McLean should be buying Benge and Ewing dinner, because their arms are the reason he picked up his ninth victory of the season.
“That fires me up. Not only did it save team runs, but it saved me runs, as well,” McLean said. “And then A.J. doing it later on in the game is just awesome.”
The Mets scored their two runs in the opening frame against Walker Buehler. Bo Bichette highlighted the scoring with an RBI single.
The Mets have won 10 of their past 13 games and are 23-22 since Green took over as interim manager, replacing Carlos Mendoza on June 26.