Carson Benge snaps slump with two clutch hits in Mets' skid-busting win over Reds

Carson Benge broke his slump with a productive two RBI night as the Mets defeated the Reds 4-2 at Citi Field. Benge delivered RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings to stretch New York's lead to 3-1. The Mets rode a strong bullpen, with Devin Williams earning the save after a tense ninth. Soto homered in the first off Andrew Abbott, his eighth in 12 games, providing the initial run. Starter Huascar Brazobán opened, and Jonah Tong covered 3 2/3 innings behind him, allowing an unearned run as he continued his solid recall performance. The win snapped a five game skid. Before the game, Benge had gone 1-for-20, but Mendoza praised his consistency and aggressiveness. Soto commented on Benge's swing, noting he squares balls most of the time. Benge's hot stretch followed a .919 OPS over 17 games in which the Mets went 11-6. The Reds left 17 runners on base, underscoring a high workload for New York's bullpen and the offense's late turn.