An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio celebrating after hitting a walkout single against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Image 2 shows New York Mets pitcher Devin Williams celebrates after striking out Adrian del Castillo, Image 3 shows Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) delivers the ball
Access the Mets beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.
Carlos Mendoza chatted with Ronny Mauricio early Tuesday and delivered a message that might have elicited eye rolls.
The Mets manager told Mauricio, just called up to replace the sidelined Juan Soto, that his playing time was going to be “limited.”
Mauricio arrived back in the majors without a true job, his infield flexibility key for a team with a banged-up Jorge Polanco and Brett Baty, but Polanco still can DH and Baty is playing through a jammed thumb.
So Mauricio would be guaranteed nothing and just have to be ready — just like he was asked to be ready at the end of last season, when he started all of three games in the last six weeks of the campaign.
Back then, the Mets did not want to send him back to the minor leagues and burn his final option, and thus they stored him on the major league bench for a month and a half.
So Tuesday, Mauricio listened to Mendoza. If there were any hard feelings, none showed.
“I’m just here to help the team out in any way possible,” Mauricio said later, “and I’ll be ready once my name is called.”
As luck would have it — or as “baseball” would have it, as the manager put it — Mendoza called for Mauricio for the first time all season, and the young slugger was ready.
Third baseman Ronny Mauricio hits a walkoff RBI single during the 10th inning of the Mets’ 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks on April 7, 2026 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for NY Post
In his first at-bat of the season, Mauricio laced a pinch-hit walk-off single to lift the Mets in a back-and-forth 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Diamondbacks, prompting a celebration in shallow center field and prompting the announced crowd of 34,753 — and in reality, a much smaller number — to mercifully go home and escape the biting winds and frigid temperatures at Citi Field.
The Mets (7-4), who played extra innings for a third straight home game, have won four straight since dipping under .500. Perhaps this is another sign that the 2026 Mets might have better late-game luck than the 2025 Mets.
“It goes to show you that we’re going to need everyone in here,” Mendoza said after using six pitchers and every position player apart from Luis Torrens. “Everyone who walks in those doors, they’re important.”
The many domino falls of the game led to a moment that felt “incredible,” Mauricio said, and also was plenty unlikely considering how many turns this one took.
Mets starter Freddy Peralta throws a pitch during their win over the Diamondbacks. Bill Kostroun/New York Post
The Mets had seized an early two-run lead, and then watched that disappear in a top of the fifth inning that they believed to have ended. Freddy Peralta (4 ²/₃ innings in which he tried to weather the wind but walked three) left having not allowed a run but handed a bases-loaded, two-out jam to Huascar Brazobán.
Brazobán appeared to strike out Adrian Del Castillo and walked off the mound, only to have the call reversed with a challenge.
Del Castillo then roped a two-run single before Nolan Arenado blooped an RBI hit to put Arizona ahead.
Silent from the third through seventh innings, the Mets offense finally responded in the eighth, when they broke through against former Yankee Jonathan Loáisiga.
The largest moment was a pinch-hit call from Mendoza: With runners on the corners, he lifted a hot (but righty-hitting) Mark Vientos for lefty Jared Young, who rewarded the faith by lifting a game-tying sacrifice fly.
The Mets bullpen — Luis Garcia, Brooks Raley, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver combined for five scoreless innings following Brazobán — came through, most impressively in the ninth and 10th innings.
Devin Williams celebrates after striking out Adrian del Castillo during the ninth inning of the Mets’ 10-inning win over the Diamondbacks. AP
Williams escaped a two-on jam with a strikeout of Del Castillo before Weaver stranded the automatic runner and hopped off the mound with a fist raised upon striking out Tim Tawa to set the table for the bottom of the 10th.
Against righty Paul Sewald, Bo Bichette grounded out, which would have brought up Polanco — but he had been subbed out for righty Tyrone Taylor as a pinch runner in the eighth.
And thus the switch-hitting Mauricio was the lone lefty bat on the bench.
“He was ready to go, and I’m proud of him,” Mendoza said of Mauricio, who chased two high fastballs before roping a hit to right over the head of Corbin Carroll.
“Mentally, I prepare myself,” Mauricio said through interpreter Alan Suriel, “so whenever I’m called upon, I’m going to do my job.”