156 hits, and a name replaced
Carson Benge had 17 hits in his first 90 at-bats. Through April 30 he looked like a rookie who had arrived a year early.
On Saturday he passed Pete Alonso.
Benge’s three-hit day in the Mets’ 10-3 win over Philadelphia took him to 156 hits on the season, one clear of the 155 Alonso managed in 2019. That 2019 campaign also produced 53 home runs and a Rookie of the Year award, so the mark Benge took down was not a soft one. He has batted .292 since May 1 to get there.
“I came in knowing I belonged,” Benge said. “It was kind of rough there in the beginning, but (he was) sticking to my path and grinding out every day and now finally showing others that I finally belong here, too.”
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Alonso’s shadow over the homestand
The timing carries its own weight. Alonso left for Baltimore as a free agent in December holding the franchise record with 264 home runs, and he spent the first half of this homestand reminding Queens what that looked like. He drew standing ovations before every at-bat on Monday in a 2-1 Orioles win, hit his 300th career homer in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 7-5 victory in 11 innings, then went deep again in a 7-1 rout on Wednesday.
The Mets lost five in a row across that stretch. They have won the last two.
Tong against Sanchez, with Philadelphia sliding
New York close their home schedule this afternoon with Jonah Tong (2-1, 3.43 ERA) against Cristopher Sanchez (17-6, 2.93). Tong has never faced Philadelphia. His last outing brought six innings and one unearned run in a 2-1 defeat to Baltimore, a start he did not factor into.
Sanchez took the loss on Tuesday, conceding five runs over 6 1/3 innings in a 6-3 defeat to Washington. Against the Mets he is 4-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 13 career appearances, 10 of them starts.
Philadelphia (85-70) have lost 10 of their last 16 and sit in the third National League wild-card spot, a game behind the Cubs and Padres and four clear of Arizona. “I just don’t think these guys are going to sit back and panic,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. New York are 71-84, which leaves Benge’s counting stats as the live number in the building.
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