Mets Explode for 10-Run 12th Inning to Outlast Nationals 16–7

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First, a quick modern-day reality check: while Washington’s baseball team hasn’t officially been called the “Senators” since the team packed up for Texas in the early 1970s, the New York Mets treated the modern-day Washington Nationals like a completely defenseless, bygone relic last night.

In what will go down as one of the most absurd, exhausting, and ultimately historic games of the 2026 season, the Mets demolished Washington 16–7 at Nationals Park. The headline? A mind-boggling, 10-run explosion in the top of the 12th inning that didn’t just break the game open—it shattered a century’s worth of baseball history.

A 12th Inning for the History Books

To say the 12th inning was wild would be a massive understatement. The top of the 12th marked the highest-scoring single extra inning for any National League team in 107 years.

After a grueling back-and-forth battle kept both teams deadlocked through the 10th and 11th frames, Washington manager Blake Butera essentially waved the white flag. He made the unconventional move to bring in second baseman Jorbit Vivas to pitch the 12th, and the Mets’ hitters showed absolutely no mercy to the position player on the bump:

The Greeting: A.J. Ewing welcomed Vivas by lining an RBI single to left on the very first pitch of the at-bat.
The Avalanche: After a single loaded the bases, rookie Carson Benge clobbered a ball deep to center field, plating two more runs.
The Exclamation Point: Bo Bichette kept the line moving, launching a sharp double into the gap to drive home two more and extend the blowout.

When the dust finally settled, the Mets had sent 14 batters to the plate, racking up 10 runs in a single extra frame to turn a tense poker match into an absolute laugher.

The Early Fireworks

Long before the extra-inning madness, this game was a pure slugfest. The Mets’ bats showed life early, anchored by a monstrous performance from third baseman Brett Baty. In the top of the fourth inning, Baty absolutely demolished a first-pitch fastball from Nats starter Jake Irvin, sending it a projected 451 feet into the deep center-field seats at a blistering 111.2 mph.

In the fifth inning, the Mets found themselves in business again with runners on first and second. Superstar Juan Soto stepped up to the plate against lefty reliever PJ Poulin and lined a clutch, first-pitch single through the left side of the infield, driving in two runs and giving New York a temporary 4–3 lead.

Mets Out-Slugging Washington: Key Performers

While Washington entered the game as one of the highest-scoring teams in baseball, it was New York’s bats that completely dominated the box score by the end of the night, finishing with 18 total hits.

Player (Mets)	Box Score Line	Game-Changing Impact
Brett Baty	2-for-6, HR, 3 RBI	Hit a 451-foot moonshot to ignite the offense.
Carson Benge	3 Hits, 3 RBI, 3 RS	Blew the game open with a bases-clearing knock in the 12th.
Bo Bichette	3 Hits, 2B, HR, 3 RBI	Provided the late-inning dagger double off a position player.
Juan Soto	2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 BB	Kept the line moving with a clutch 5th-inning single and late walks.

What the Win Means Moving Forward

With the 16–7 victory, the Mets are suddenly one of the hottest teams in baseball. New York has now won six of their last seven games and secured their third straight victory, improving their regular-season record to 21–26.

While the team still has some ground to make up in the NL East standings, an offensive explosion of this magnitude—and a historic entry into the baseball record books—might just be the catalyst the Mets need to turn their season entirely around. Meanwhile, the Nationals fall to 23–25, left to pick up the pieces after an extra-inning bullpen disaster.