SAN DIEGO — Carson Benge is Mr. Everything for the Mets these days, improving steadily as his first major league season progresses.
Defense, base running and hitting are all components of Benge’s toolbox that have fast transformed the outfielder into a National League Rookie of the Year candidate.
On Sunday he was the biggest factor offensively in the Mets salvaging a .500 road trip.
Benge’s 5-for-5 afternoon led a 7-3 victory over the Padres at Petco Park, giving the Mets their first road series victory since May 7.
The Mets had a third solid offensive showing in four days, totaling 13 hits and giving bulk reliever Sean Manaea and the bullpen a cushion.
Benge’s road trip included a steal of home on Wednesday in Seattle.
He and A.J. Ewing have energized the Mets defensively with their fearless outfield play.
Benge’s fourth hit on this day was a solo homer in the sixth against lefty Yuki Matsui that increased the Mets’ lead to 6-2.
In his next at-bat, he stroked an RBI triple in the eighth.
Benge, who became the first Mets rookie with five hits in a game since Pete Alonso in 2019, singled in each of his three previous plate appearances, scoring two runs.
Over his last 41 games he owns an .825 OPS and has stabilized the leadoff spot with Francisco Lindor on the injured list.
Manaea allowed two earned runs on four hits and one walk over four innings.
Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, Luke Weaver and Devin Williams combined to pitch four innings.
Williams allowed one run in the ninth.
Huascar Brazobán served as the opener ahead of Manaea and navigated the first inning scoreless after walking Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill in succession to start his afternoon.
Juan Soto’s RBI ground out in the first inning gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Benge singled leading off the game and Bo Bichette doubled him to third. Soto’s RBI was his 30th of the season, but the Mets never scored Bichette from third base, as Jared Young struck out and Ewing was retired.
Marcus Semien extended the lead to 2-0 with a homer leading off the second.
It was a second straight game with a homer for Semien, whose shot in the seventh inning Saturday night put the Mets ahead before Austin Warren surrendered a go-ahead blast in the bottom of the inning.
MJ Melendez provided a defensive boost in the bottom of the frame with a full extension diving catch in left to rob Miguel Andujar of a hit following Xander Bogaerts’ leadoff single.
Young’s RBI single in the fifth widened the Mets’ advantage and Ewing’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded got the lead to 4-0, but Soto was thrown out at third by Jase Bowen after tagging up at second.
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Manaea surrendered a two-run homer to Freddy Fermin in the fifth that brought the Padres to within 4-2.
It was the second straight game with a jolt by Fermin, whose homer in the seventh inning on Saturday sank the Mets.
Tatis’ boneheaded decision to attempt a steal of third base with two outs, after stroking a double, backfired as he was thrown out by Luis Torrens.
Melendez homered in the sixth to give the Mets a 5-2 lead.
The homer was Melendez’s fourth this season.
Benge’s blast later in the inning widened the gap to 6-2.
His triple in the seventh gave the Mets their final run.