Carson Benge encountered a dead bird in right field on Opening Day and a dead baseball. He only killed one of those things, and it wasn’t the bird.

It was an eventful big league debut for the Mets outfielder, to say the least.

After making the team out of spring training, the 23-year-old had more than 20 friends and family members at Citi Field on Thursday during one of the more memorable Opening Day games for the Mets in recent history. Benge went 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base, showing exactly why the Mets value him so highly as the game went on.

Over the last few months, the club has lauded his “consistent personality.” Benge himself says he’s an easygoing, cool-headed player who tries to stay level to handle the highs and lows of a long season.

However, one thing that teams typically don’t go over in big league camp is what to do when a dead bird lands right next to you in the outfield, as it did in the middle of the Mets’ 11-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday afternoon. A pigeon dropped from the sky right into right field, leaving Benge entertained and confused.

“I heard a thud, I looked down and it was just down,” Benge said. “It was down for the count.”

While Benge was wondering if he would have to play around it, fans were chanting “pick it up.” Benge wasn’t about to do that, saying the thought of it was “gross.”

His composure had already been tested in the first inning when he faced NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes. Despite struggles from one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, Benge struck out on three pitches with a runner on second base and one out.

For a player who “hates striking out,” he went down relatively easily. Big league nerves got the best of him.

“Oh, definitely,” Benge said. “The first one is always, always going to be something to remember.”

The nerves were to be expected. Though he slept great the night before, Benge had butterflies in his stomach after arriving at the ballpark in the morning. It was only his second time ever at Citi Field, and his second time in New York City. Once the first at-bat was out of the way, he was able to calm himself down.

“[I told myself], ‘Just calm down, just take a deep breath,’” Benge said. “It was a great atmosphere with great fans. I was just trying to bring myself back down so I could compete.”

Whatever he did worked.

Benge struck out swinging in his next at-bat, but it was a more characteristic plate appearance, fouling back tough pitches before swinging through a 1-2 fastball by Yohan Ramirez. He worked an eight-pitch walk against right-hander Isaac Matson in the fifth, scoring easily on a bases-loaded single by Juan Soto later in the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, he teed off on the first pitch he saw from right-hander Justin Lawrence, a sweeper that Benge got to right in the middle of the zone. He drove it 385 feet to the bullpen in right-center field for his first Major League hit and his first career home run.

“Unbelievable,” said utilityman Brett Baty. “Really, really cool.”

Baty’s first big league hit was also a home run, and Francisco Alvarez’s first also cleared the fences. Alvarez hit behind Benge in the No. 9 spot Thursday, homering off Lawrence right after him.

This is what the Mets expected from Benge. They see him as a big-game player whose ability to calm himself down is just as important as his ability to impact the baseball.

“He’s 0-for-2 with a couple strikeouts, still feels pretty good about his chances,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “He controls the strike zone, he walks, and then he gets a pitch he can do damage with and goes to the pull-side like that. I’m not surprised by it because of the personality there. Opening Day, first big league game for him, packed house and he just goes out there and plays his game.”

If Big Game Benge keeps playing his game, he’ll be here to stay.

Unlike the bird, which was disposed of by the grounds crew. Don’t worry, Benge wasn’t rattled.

“I’m not superstitious,” Benge said. “It worked out.”