Carson Benge shows off pull-side pop, enjoys much-needed big night in Mets’ win over Twins

Carson Benge has had a bit of a rough start to his big league career. The young slugger put together a much-needed big night at the plate on Thursday, though, helping the Mets pick up their second straight win over the Twins. Benge opened his showing jumping on a first pitch Joe Ryan fastball up in the zone, ripping it 95 mph off the right-center fence for a one out double.

He came around to score a few batters later on a sacrifice fly. The lefty did even more damage against Ryan his next time up, this time leading off the fourth by lifting a second-pitch splitter 388 feet over the right field fence. This one left the bat at a whopping 105.

7 mph. Benge struck out in his next plate appearance, then Tommy Pham pinch-hit for him when a lefty was brought in to the game with two on in the bottom of the eighth. Pham, of course, drew a walk and then Bo Bichette delivered his first big knock as a Met with a go-ahead bases-clearing double into the left-center gap.

The 23-year-old finished 2-for-3, with the knocks being his second double and second homer of the season. “He was just getting the barrel though the hitting zone and hitting balls to the pull-side,” Carlos Mendoza said. “The first off the wall and then the homer, overall I think it’s just shorter and more direct to the ball.