Tong Shaky in Debut, Benge Collects Three Hits

Jonah Tong gave up three hits, a walk, hit a batter and served up a three-run, opposite-field home run to the Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman Wednesday in his spring debut at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie. St. Louis (3-2) beat the Mets (2-2-1), 6-0.

Tong went 2 2/3 innings, threw 50 pitches and was pulled by manager Carlos Mendoza one batter after the Gorman homer. After dominating in the minor leagues last season (1.43 ERA, 179 strikeouts in 113 1/3 innings) Tong was hit hard (7.71 ERA, 18 2/3 innings) over five starts with the Mets. The 22-year-old is expected to start the season at Triple-A Syracuse.

The home run came on a cutter that he said is a work in progress.

“Just throwing it in zone as much as possible,” he told Michelle Margaux on WPIX in the dugout after his outing. “It’s just another off-speed offering I’m trying to just be able to land in zone and even the Gorman at-bat, like, sometimes it’s just gonna get hit. That’s the whole part of learning it. I’m honestly happy it’s happening during spring because at least I can take notes from it and push it forward.”

Carson Benge, bidding for the starting right-field job, was 3-for-3, all singles, one day after one of his competitors for the job, Mike Tauchman, homered in his first spring at-bat.

Like Tong, Benge impressed in the minors last year, hitting .281/.385/.472 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs. He played 60 games at High-A Brooklyn, 32 at Double-A Binghamton and 24 at Syracuse in his first full pro season after being drafted 19th overall out of Oklahoma State in 2024. Benge stole 22 bases in 26 attempts and played all three outfield spots, making 25 starts in right.

Fellow top 100 prospect A.J. Ewing had a 103.4 mph double in the eighth inning off Jurrangelo Cijntje.

Some regulars saw action. Juan Soto was 0-for-2, Francisco Alvarez (designated hitter) was 0-for-2 with a strikeout and Mark Vientos was 0-for-2. Shortstop Vidal Brujan, in the mix for a roster spot, was 2-for-2.

Douglas Orellana relieved Tong and retired the only batter he faced. Luis Garcia, Adbert Alzolay, Matt Turner and Aaron Rozek each threw a scoreless frame. Nick Burdi gave up a two-run single in his one inning of work. Joe Jacques gave up a run on three hits in an inning. Alzolay was making his first stateside appearance since May of 2024.

Player of the Game

Benge had an infield single in the first, lined an opposite-field single to left in the third and grounded a single through the hole into right to finish off a 10-pitch at-bat in the fifth. He had the look of a professional hitter.

On Deck

Nolan McLean will make his spring debut Thursday when the Mets face the Astros and RHP Tatsuya Imai at 1:05 p.m. ET at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. The Astros signed the 27-year-old Imai to a three-year, $54 million contract in the offseason. He pitched to a 1.92 ERA in the Japan Pacific League last year. The game will not be televised.

The post Tong Shaky in Debut, Benge Collects Three Hits appeared first on Metsmerized Online.