NEW YORK (AP) — Carson Benge crossed first base and the rookie raised both arms in triumph after driving in the winning run for the New York Mets in the 10th inning for the second time in five days.
Anthony Volpe tumbled to the infield grass after crashing into Yankees teammate Max Schuemann, who had gloved Benge's two-hop chopper behind the mound, a collision that allowed Marcus Semien to slide across home plate without a throw.
“Once it went over
the pitcher's head I kind of knew,” Benge said.
Tyrone Taylor tied the score with a three-run homer off All-Star closer David Bednar with two outs in the ninth, Benge hit the game-ending bouncer an inning later and the Mets stunned the New York Yankees 7-6 on Sunday to take two of three from their crosstown rival in their Subway Series at Citi Field.
"He’s like 20 years old, hitting a bunch of walk-offs,” the 32-year-old Taylor said as he walked by the 23-year-old Benge to address the postgame media scrum.
The Mets had lost 91 consecutive games when trailing after eight innings since Pete Alonso’s three-run homer off Devin Williams led them to victory at Milwaukee in the deciding Game 3 of their 2024 NL Wild Card Series.
While the banged-up Mets (20-26) improved to 10-5 in May despite missing injured regulars Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr., the Yankees (28-19) completed a 2-7 trip going into a seven-game homestand against AL champion Toronto and AL East-leading Tampa Bay.
“Guys are playing tough and making the plays they need to but just coming up a little bit short,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said. “We've got to have a short memory, move on and get ready ... because we've got a big division opponent coming in.”
Brought back from the minor leagues on Tuesday after fellow shortstop José Caballero broke a finger, Volpe hit a tiebreaking, two-run single and drew a bases-loaded walk for his first RBIs this season. That helped the Yankees build leads of 5-1 in the sixth and 6-3 in the seventh, closing in on what would have been their first series win at Citi Field since 2018.
Benge and Bo Bichette started the ninth with singles off Bednar. Juan Soto grounded into a forceout, Mark Vientos struck out and Taylor drove a first-pitch hanging curveball 404 feet, just inside the left-field foul pole.
“I didn't know it was going to stay fair,” Taylor said. “I kind of waited there to see if it would.”
Teammates mobbed Taylor when he returned to the dugout, smiling wide and still wearing his wraparound sunglasses as they put the team's celebratory orange construction helmet on his head and added the matching hi-visibility vest.
With the score 1-all in the fifth, Taylor pinch hit with two outs and runners at the corners and was robbed by center fielder Trent Grisham, who sprinted in for a tumbling catch. Taylor then lined out to Schuemann just in front of the left-field warning track in the seventh.
Because of those two drives, Benge thought Taylor was due for a big hit in the ninth.
“I kind of blacked out for him,” Benge said. “I had a feeling. I didn’t tell him but I had a feeling, and to be able to see that was so sick.”
Bednar blew a save for the second time in 12 chances and has a 4.95 ERA. He has allowed runs in six of his last nine appearances.
“Overall it’s unacceptable, especially in that spot,” Bednar said. “It’s just very frustrating.”
Williams (3-1), now with the Mets, got Austin Wells to ground into an inning-inning double play in the 10th.
Tim Hill (0-1) relieved Bednar starting the bottom half and A.J. Ewing moved Semien, the automatic runner, to third with the first sacrifice bunt of his professional career. The Yankees brought in Schuemann from left to form a five-man infield, and Luis Torrens — whose pinch-hit, two-run double had cut the deficit in the sixth — was hit by a pitch.
Benge's chopper bounded off the plate and bounced high before landing midway between the mound and second base. Schuemann, positioned to the right of second, snagged a short hop and was about to throw to catcher Austin Wells when Volpe barged into his right shoulder, knocking Schuemann off balance.
“A no-man's land there,” Volpe said. “We're both just trying to make a play on the ball.”
Semien was about halfway home when Schuemann scooped up the ball. By the time Schuemann regained his balance, there was no reason to throw.
“With Timmy on the mound, it's more than likely going to be a groundball in that situation,” Schuemann said. “It’s just one of those things that we’re both going to be aggressive to that baseball no matter what. We both want to make a play.”
The Mets won their second straight game in which they dropped a flyball, allowing a run to score. Bichette ranged from shortstop and allowed Grisham's sixth-inning popup in short left field to bounce off his glove, a day after Benge dropped Cody Bellinger's fly for his second misplay in right of the homestand.
“We get down. We get punched in the face. We get back up,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Today was a perfect example when, like I said, we didn’t play our best game and we still are able to shake hands at the end.”
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AP freelance writer Jerry Beach contributed to this report.
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