Rookie Nick Morabito notched his first major league hits on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, delivering a bases-clearing double and a diving catch to propel the New York Mets past the Tampa Bay Rays 10-4 at Tropicana Field, snapping a three-series losing streak for the team.
Nick Morabito waited three months for a turning point, and it arrived in a flurry of extra-base hits and defensive heroics at Tropicana Field. The 23-year-old rookie entered Wednesday’s interleague rubber match against the American League-leading Tampa Bay Rays as a pinch-runner in the sixth inning, eventually putting an end to an 0-for-12 slump that had lingered since his initial major league call-up back in May.
Nick Morabito Breaks Hitless Streak With Bases-Clearing Double
Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Morabito faced Rays reliever Manuel Rodríguez after falling behind 0-2 in the count. He recovered to hook a 96 mph sinker just inside the left-field line, clearing the bases to stretch the Mets’ lead to 9-4. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the clutch swing made Morabito the first Mets player to drive in at least three runs on his first career hit since Jordany Valdespin did so on May 7, 2012.
“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t at all. It was, so I am glad I got it out of the way.”
Nick Morabito, Mets rookie outfielder
That pressure lifted, Morabito followed up in the ninth inning by lining a changeup off All-Star closer Bryan Baker for a clean single. Between his offensive contributions, the rookie made an elite defensive play in the bottom of the eighth, sprinting at 30.1 feet per second to chase down a sinking liner from Victor Mesa Jr. and make a full-out diving catch near the foul line.
Early Offense and Bullpen Support Secure Series Win
The Mets provided plenty of cushion before Morabito’s late-inning heroics. Jared Young opened the scoring in the first inning with a two-run single off Griffin Jax, while Marcus Semien followed with an RBI double to establish an early 3-0 advantage. Brett Baty chased Jax from the game in the third inning with a bases-loaded double that drove in three more runs, extending the margin to 6-0.
Tampa Bay chipped away against right-hander Justin Hagenman, who was making his season debut after rehabbing a rib fracture. Hagenman retired the first eight batters he faced before yielding an RBI single to Jonathan Aranda in the third. The Rays then mounted a three-run rally in the fourth against Chris Devenski, highlighted by Cedric Mullins’ RBI single and a two-run opposite-field home run from Richie Palacios that cut the deficit to 6-4.
Interim Manager Andy Green Praises Rookie’s Spark
Interim manager Andy Green noted the difficulty of making an immediate impact after entering cold from the bench, a scenario rarely encountered in Triple-A.
“Coming off the bench, too — something he hasn’t done a lot in his career. You don’t do that a ton in the minor leagues, so watching him get a huge hit, driving in three runs, make a diving play and then get another hit for good measure — it’s a special day he won’t forget.”
Andy Green, interim Mets manager
Juan Soto provided additional insurance in the eighth inning by launching his 23rd home run of the season, a solo shot that capped a 14-hit offensive showing. The victory halted a skid of three series losses against division leaders and handed a temporary setback to the Rays (83-56) in their division race.
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