Carson Benge Continues Strong Spring as Mets Lose to Cardinals

Carson Benge and the New York Mets (12-10-2) lost to the St. Louis Cardinals (15-9) by a score of 4-3 in Grapefruit League action from Clover Park in Port St. Lucie.

Tobias Myers began the afternoon by striking out JJ Wetherholt, MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 prospect in baseball. Despite allowing a home run to the next batter, he worked around a walk by picking Jordan Walker off at first to end the inning. In the bottom half of the first, Carson Benge continued his strong spring by working a leadoff walk. However, the Mets would fail to score, keeping the game 1-0 Cardinals.

Luke Weaver entered the game in relief of Myers in the third after the latter threw a solid two innings. Weaver put together a nice inning of work, allowing a two-out hit before retiring the side.

Brooks Raley replaced Weaver in the top of the fourth inning. The left-hander pitched a scoreless inning, allowing a pair of hits before working his way out of the frame unscathed.

Bryan Hudson relieved Raley in the top of the fifth inning. After a walk, a steal, and a sacrifice bunt, Wetherholt hit a sacrifice fly. After a two-run home run, it was 4-0 Cardinals, chasing Hudson from the game. Cristofer Gomez entered the game, and with one pitch, the inning was finally over.

In the bottom half of the fifth, a two-out single from Vidal Bruján broke up Matthew Liberatore‘s no-hit bid. However, no runs would score and it remained 4-0 Cardinals.

Hudson returned to the mound in the top of the sixth, where he retired the only batter he saw before being pulled from the game again. Gomez returned to the game with one-out in the inning, and retired the two batters he saw to retire the side.

In the bottom half of the inning with two runners on, and no outs, Benge hit a weak single to the left side to load the bases. After Hayden Senger was thrown out on a wild pitch and Tyrone Taylor struck out on a pitch that hit him, Ben Rortvedt grounded out to keep the score 4-0 Cardinals.

Saul Garcia replaced Gomez in the top of the seventh. The right-hander worked a solid inning without allowing a run.

Jordan Geber replaced Garcia in the eight inning. He worked a one-two-three frame while recording a strikeout. In the bottom of the inning, the Mets finally got on the board with a Rortvedt sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. D’Andre Smith followed that with a two-run double to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 4-3.

Geber stayed on for the top of the ninth, where he worked another clean inning. The Mets failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, though, and lost to the Cardinals 4-3.

Player of the Game: Carson Benge

Despite a disappointing afternoon from the Mets’ offense, Benge continued his strong spring. The 23-year-old went 1-for-2 with a walk. His hit loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth when he took an inside sinker the other way. His Grapefruit League average now sits at .412 with a .987 OPS.

On Deck

The Mets (12-10-2) will take on the Nationals (13-8) tomorrow in West Palm Beach, Florida. A starting pitcher has yet to be named, and the game will not be televised.

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