Ronny Mauricio walks Mets off to 4-3 win in 1st AB of 2026 season

Mauricio's pinch-hit single in the 9th lifts Mets over Diamondbacks

Apr. 7, 2026 at 11:21pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the final moments of the Mets' comeback win, with fragmented, overlapping shapes and planes representing the action on the field.Mauricio's pinch-hit heroics cap off a thrilling late-inning comeback for the Mets in their 2026 season opener.NYC Today

Ronny Mauricio, a reserve infielder for the New York Mets, delivered a game-winning pinch-hit single in the bottom of the 9th inning to lift the Mets to a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in their 2026 season opener. The Mets rallied late, tying the game at 3-3 in the 8th inning on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly by Jared Young before Mauricio's heroics in the 9th.

Why it matters

The Mets' comeback win and Mauricio's clutch performance in his first at-bat of the season are an exciting start to their 2026 campaign, as they look to build on last year's success and make a deep playoff run. Mauricio's emergence as a key contributor off the bench could be a valuable asset for the Mets throughout the season.

The details

With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the 9th, Ronny Mauricio came off the bench and delivered a game-winning single to right field off Diamondbacks reliever Paul Sewald, scoring the winning run and giving the Mets their third straight victory to open the season. Earlier, the Mets had rallied to tie the game in the 8th on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly by Jared Young, after the Diamondbacks had taken a 3-2 lead in the 5th inning on a two-run single by Adrian Del Castillo and an RBI double by Nolan Arenado.

  • The game-winning hit by Mauricio came in the bottom of the 9th inning.
  • The Mets rallied to tie the game 3-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning.

The players

Ronny Mauricio

A reserve infielder for the New York Mets who delivered the game-winning hit in the 9th inning.

Carlos Mendoza

The manager of the New York Mets.

Freddy Peralta

The starting pitcher for the New York Mets, who allowed 3 runs in 4.2 innings of work.

Jared Young

A Mets pinch-hitter who drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly in the 8th inning.

Paul Sewald

The Diamondbacks reliever who gave up the game-winning hit to Mauricio in the 9th inning.

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What they’re saying

“Ronny Mauricio had to be ready at any time, despite being told that his playing time would be limited upon his call-up from Triple-A on Monday.”

— Carlos Mendoza, Mets manager

What’s next

The Mets will look to continue their hot start to the season in the second game of their series against the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

The takeaway

Ronny Mauricio's game-winning hit in his first at-bat of the season showcases the Mets' depth and ability to get contributions from unexpected sources, which could be a key factor in their pursuit of a playoff berth in 2026.