31 August 2023
DJ Stewart did it all for the Mets on Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers.
The Mets blew an early three-run lead and went down 5-3 before Stewart belted his second home run of the game to tie it up at 5-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was his second multi-homer game of the season and the third of his career. The Mets walked it off on the least dramatic play involving the outfielder. Aroldis Chapman hit Stewart with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th, salvaging a series with a 6-5 win.
It was Stewart’s first career walk-off RBI.
This came after a bullpen blowup in the top of the inning. The margin for error was thin, with the Mets trying to protect a 3-2 lead. They went to their high-leverage relievers, but the team couldn’t get it done.
Left-hander Brooks Raley loaded the bases with no outs and the Mets replaced him with right-hander Adam Ottavino. He hit Adolis Garcia with a pitch to bring in a run and tie the game.
A double play got Ottavino close, but he couldn’t get across the finish line. A two-run single by one-time Mets outfielder Travis Jankowski tied the game. All three runs were charged to Raley.
But then came Stewart’s big blast and a big catch from the big outfielder in the top of the ninth. With Jeff Brigham making his first appearance in the major leagues since July 2, Marcus Semien came within inches of a two-run blast. Stewart made a catch at the wall to bail out Brigham and keep the game tied. He covered 90 feet in 5.5 seconds to rob Semien of the go-ahead shot.
Fans chanted his name to salute a solid night. Brigham got out of the inning unscathed.
The righty flirted with fire once again in the 10th when he loaded the bases with one out, but Pete Alonso charged a slow roller down the first base line to turn a 3-2-4 double play.
Denyi Reyes, the right-hander called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday in order to give Kodai Senga two extra days of rest, went 5 1/3 innings before handing a lead over to the bullpen.
Sean Reid-Foley entered in the sixth inning with one on and one out and the Mets leading 3-1. He then walked the first three hitters he faced, allowing the Rangers (75-58) to get back in the game. He struck out Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim to get out of the inning with the lead still intact.
The Mets (61-73) got to right-hander Dane Dunning in the third inning. Daniel Vogelbach led off with a home run and Stewart followed with his first of the night. It was the 13th of the season for Vogelbach and his sixth in the month of August. Stewart, who is auditioning for a bench role next season, be it with the Mets or with another team, has 10 since he was called up from Triple-A on July 4.
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