New York Mets beat Team Israel behind Christian Scott’s 5 strikeouts

Christian Scott showed exactly why New York Mets fans are so excited about his return to the mound. The Mets picked up a 5-2 win against Team Israel on Wednesday at Clover Park. This game was headlined by a solo opposite-field home run from outfield prospect Carson Benge and a genuinely encouraging return to the mound from right-hander Christian Scott, who had not thrown in a game since July 2024.

Mets Strong Starts and Early Power

David Peterson took the ball first for the Mets. He threw three scoreless innings and looked really solid. He walked a couple of batters and gave up a hit, but he also struck out four. He even got out of a tough spot in the first inning with a clutch double play. And that is why he is competing for a rotation spot.

On the offensive side, Carson Benge made a big statement. In the bottom of the third inning, he took a 1-2 pitch over the right field fence for an opposite-field solo home run. He continues to prove that he deserves a spot on the Opening Day roster. It was the only run the Mets scored early on, but it set a good tone for the rest of the day.

Then we got to see Scott take over in the top of the fourth inning. He pitched for the first time since his elbow surgery in July 2024. He was absolutely electric. He threw 2.2 innings and did not allow a run. He gave up two hits and struck out five batters. Here’s what I found when looking at his numbers. He threw 50 pitches total, and 40 of them were strikes. That kind of control is rare for a guy who has been out of action for over 18 months. He was filling up the strike zone and challenging hitters right from the start.

Analytics and Dominance

The analytics behind his performance are even better. His fastball was sitting around 95 mph, and it touched 96.8 mph. He had that familiar ride at the top of the zone that makes him so tough to hit. He worked around a single and a stolen base in the fourth inning without breaking a sweat. Then he came back in the fifth and struck out the side around another single. He looks completely healthy, and his mechanics are smooth. This might work perfectly for the Mets as they build their pitching depth. His stuff is clearly major league ready, and he generated plenty of swings and misses.

The game got a little tight in the late innings. Adbert Alzolay gave up a game-tying solo home run in the seventh inning. Then Team Israel took a 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth against Nick Burdi. But here’s the thing, the young guys on the Mets roster fought right back in the bottom of the eighth. Chris Suero started the rally with a walk. Jose Rojas followed that up with a sharp double to left field. Then Ji Hwan Bae hit a crucial single to right field that scored two runs and gave the Mets the lead for good. It was a great piece of hitting in a pressure situation.

The Mets did not stop there. Jacob Reimer lined an RBI single to right field to score Bae. Yohairo Cuevas added another RBI single to cap off a four-run inning. We also saw Marcus Semien and Luis Torrens get some at-bats earlier in the game to stay sharp. Joey Gerber and Saul Garcia combined to close out the ninth inning and secure the 5-2 win. The team showed a lot of fight, and the pitching staff proved they have some serious depth. Overall, it was a productive day at the ballpark for New York.