Meet the Mets
The Mets fell to the Nationals 7-6 in what was an sloppy game for both teams, but a disastrous third inning that featured four wild pitches—two of them forcing in runs—sealed the Mets’ fate. On the bright side, with his 20th home run last night, Carson Benge became the first Mets rookie to have a 20-20 season.
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The second game of this weekend’s series between the Mets and Nationals, originally scheduled for 4:05pm, will be played at 12:35pm due to the rain in the forecast later this afternoon and evening in Washington DC.
“Anything that can be in the history book and done for the first time is something special,” Carson Benge said about becoming the first Mets rookie to have a 20-20 season. “I hold that close to my heart.”
“If it matters to a Mets fan, it matters to me, but deep down, if I think about it, there’s playoffs and there’s not playoffs. There’s nothing we’re going to do to get to that spot,” said Andy Green prior to last night’s game about the importance—or lack thereof—of avoiding the cellar in the NL East. “As we watch other teams celebrate inclusion in playoffs, that should leave a bitter taste in all of our mouths to get back there. That’s all I’m really concerned with.” Last night’s loss to the Nationals ensured that the Mets will indeed finish in last place this season.
Prior to yesterday’s game, the Mets called up Justin Hagenman, who pitched the bulk of last night’s game in relief, and optioned Jack Weisenburger. Also, Xzavion Curry cleared waivers and was outrighted to the FCL Mets.
“It would be something that I would cherish for the rest of my career, probably one of the most important awards that I earn, that I win,” said Francisco Lindor about being nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award for the fourth straight year and what it would mean to win.
Around the National League East
The Phillies were shut out 2-0 by Freddy Peralta and the Rays, as the Diamondbacks won their game last night and inched within a game of Philadelphia for the final NL Wild Card slot (and own the tiebreaker over the Phillies) with two games to play. The Phillies were five games ahead of Arizona with eight games to play and are now in danger of missing the playoffs.
The Braves, with their NL East title already secured, were shut out by the Marlins 3-0. Eury Pérez ended his season on a high note with a one-hit shutout, striking out eight.
Around Major League Baseball
The Mets weren’t the only team whose games were impacted by the incoming Nor’easter this weekend. The Cubs and Red Sox—already originally scheduled to play a doubleheader yesterday—instead had the final game of their series moved to Tropicana Field in Tampa to avoid a soggy Fenway Park. The Yankees and Orioles preemptively moved the game originally scheduled for today and played a doubleheader yesterday.
With a 4-3 victory over the Cubs in Game 1 of yesterday’s doubleheader, the Red Sox secured the No. 5 seed in the AL and a matchup with the Yankees in the AL Wild Card Series.
“I don’t know,” said George Springer when asked whether he plans to retire after this season. “I love this organization. I loved being a Blue Jay. I’ve loved every single bit of being here. I haven’t really gotten that far yet. I’ve kind of taken every day with these guys in stride.”
The Twins and assistant general manager Daniel Adler have agreed to part ways.
“No comment,” Pope Leo XIV said with a smile when asked if he had any divine influence over the White Sox’s 2026 season. “Great things happen in Chicago.”
MLB.com ran down the top 20 selling jerseys for the 2026 season. Not surprisingly, Shohei Ohtani was number one with Aaron Judge and Pete Crow-Armstrong rounding out the top three. Juan Soto was tenth, the only Met to make the list.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. apologized yesterday afternoon for comments he made earlier in the week in a Spanish-language interview with Veronica Batista, in which he said that he was being paid his $500 million contract for what he’d done in the past, not what he’d do in the future. “I just gave it some thought, and I felt like the comments I made the other day were not really what I wanted to say,” he said. “I felt that everyone, my fans and everyone, deserves an apology from me.”
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Vasilis Drimalitis previewed the final series of the season between the Mets and Nationals.
In a new episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Brian Salvatore and Chris McShane discuss Andy Green being installed as the new permanent Mets manager and the Mets’ addition of Derek Falvey to the front office.
This Date in Mets History
The Mets became the first New York baseball team to draw 3 million fans in a season on this date in 1987, the year after their championship campaign. The Yankees would eventually do it too, but it would take another dozen years.
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