Mets muster just four hits in 3-1 loss to Rangers

The Mets dropped the final game of their three-game set against the Rangers , 3-1, on Thursday afternoon.

Rookie Carson Benge kicked off the scoring for the Mets early, cracking a single out to right field and sending Francisco Lindor , who doubled in the Mets' first at-bat of the afternoon, home for his 63rd RBI of the season. Overall, the rookie went 1-for-4, grounding out in the fourth, flying out in the seventh, and striking out swinging in the ninth.

Heading into the game, Benge led the team in runs (83), batting average (.275), OBP (.338) and SLG (.420). With one more home run in any of the final three games of the season, he would become the first Met with both 20 homers and 20 steals in his rookie season.

The Rangers quickly retaliated, taking a one-run lead in the bottom of the first. Leadoff Justin Foscue singled to left field to start before Josh Jung slammed the ball into the left field stands at 104 mph, sending himself and Foscue around the bases for the 2-1 edge.

After several deadlocked innings, Corey Seager added to the Rangers' lead with a fly ball out to right field to open the bottom of the sixth. With the win, the Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak.

In the 15th start of his rookie season, Zac Thornton nearly replicated his performance from his last start Sept. 18 , allowing two runs on four hits, walking just one batter, and striking out four across five innings. Jung was the only Rangers batter to make serious contact with a ball tossed by Thornton, accounting for two of the four hits, both of which left the bat at over 95mph (his second hit, a line-drive double in the bottom of the fourth, clocked 96.5mph).

Jeffrey Yan took over for the southpaw for just two-thirds of the sixth inning, allowing two hits and walking Jung before being replaced by Austin Warren , who struck out two across 1.1 innings. Jack Weisenburger closed the game for the Mets with one allowed hit, one walk, and one strikeout in his one inning.

Rangers starter Kumar Rocker posted a similar game, owning the mound for five innings. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four. The Mets drafted Rocker in 2021 before ultimately deciding not to sign him due to concerns about the health of his right arm. He was then redrafted by the Rangers in 2022 and has been with the organization since.

Robert Gracia , Tyler Alexander , Chase Silseth , and Jordan Montgomery pitched one inning each to round out the game for Texas . Only Alexander allowed a hit, and Silseth struck out two. Montgomery struck out one. -- Much of the excitement for the Mets came in the field rather than at the plate. In the bottom of the second, Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford took off from first in an attempt to steal second but was caught by Mets catcher Luis Torrens , who calmly caught Thornton's pitch and fired it down the field to Marcus Semien for the out. Later, when Jake Burger tried to steal third in the bottom of the sixth, Torrens quickly tossed the ball back to Semien to trap Burger between the bases. After Burger slipped on his way back to second, Semien tagged him out as he scrambled to get safely to third.

The Mets connected for a double play to shut the Rangers down in the bottom of the eighth. After Seager struck out swinging, Burger grounded to Lindor at short, who tossed to Semien at second for the second out. Semien then turned to Brett Baty at first to close the half inning.

Brandon Nimmo was stifled at the plate in his final appearance against his former team, walking and striking out once apiece.

In three at-bats, Jung notched three hits, including his first-inning two-RBI home run.

The Mets head to Washington, D.C., for a three-game series against the Nationals to close the regular season, beginning Friday.

LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-6, 3.17 ERA) will take the mound for the home team. New York has yet to name a starter.