DJ Stewart broke up a 1-1 tie with a 3-run homer to power the Mets to a 4-2 win Tuesday night against the Cubs at Citi Field. The victory got the Mets back over .500 and they’re now 15-14 on the year.
J.D. Martinez reached on an error with one out in the fifth inning and one out later Tyrone Taylor singled to bring up Stewart. Down 0-1 in the count, the pitcher tried to double up with a cutter to Stewart and he absolutely crushed the ball, sending it to the upper deck in right field. Stewart now has 11 hits on the year and six of them have gone for extra-bases, including four homers.
Sean Manaea got the start and was a frustrating mix of swing-and-miss stuff, combined with an inability to consistently throw strikes. He amassed 16 whiffs on pitches and also saw 41.3% of his pitches land as balls. An ultra-high pitch count in the first three innings kept him to just five frames.
Four relievers combined to keep the Cubs in check, as they allowed just one run in the ninth inning, with the team up three at that point. Sean Reid-Foley was credited with the win, while Jorge Lopez picked up his second save of the year, despite allowing a run.
Gut Reaction: Stewart is a power threat on the bench. Mendoza has to find a way that Stewart can some at bats. Maybe he can spell Martinez at DH and Marte in RF once a week. He does have a knack of hitting his significant homeruns to tie or go ahead.
Another magnificent game for the bullpen. It is the Mets strength.
Got to love Stewart for what he can do. 14 RBI places him third on the team and his ops is over .800. Think what a contribution he could make if he could also hit .250 and not .208. Lots of hits up and down the lineup but couldn’t cash most in except for Alonso’s sac fly. It wasn’t without anxiety but another nice outing for the pen. Butto against Imanaga tomorrow and he’s a tough pitcher with 4 wins already.
I think that’s the plan!
Glad they kept Stewart!
And, yes, the pen has been amazing!
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