It’s too bad that D.J. Stewart hasn’t been around all season. First off, because he is turning out to be what we all hoped Daniel Vogelbach would be. Second, because if they had a few more games where they both homered at the same time, they could have been the second coming of the Natural Disasters.
Vogelbach homered, but Stewart was incredible. We dubbed a win against the Pirates “The D.J. Stewart Game”, and now he topped himself in a game that actually impacted a pennant race. He homered in the second. Then after the bullpen turned into a natural disaster of their own in the top of the 8th when Brooks Raley couldn’t get an out and Adam Ottavino had to navigate a bases loaded nobody out jam which turned into a three run rally, Stewart hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the 8th. Then in the top of the 9th, Stewart brought the house down, almost literally …
DJ STEWART WITH THE BAT.
DJ STEWART WITH THE GLOVE. pic.twitter.com/f2PfcGBdlP
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 31, 2023
More defense in the 10th: With the ghost runner on second, Jonathan Arauz made a great play down the line to keep the ghost from scoring. Then after the Rangers loaded the bases again with nobody out, Jonah Heim hit a hard liner, but right to Francisco Lindor for the first out. Then, a double play you have to see to believe.
WHAT A DOUBLE PLAY BY THE METS!!!! pic.twitter.com/18EKOnryx5
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 31, 2023
It saved the Mets, it saved Jeff Brigham, and it saved us from seeing Cookie Carrasco in relief which would have been … fun?
(And if Travis Jankowski doesn’t duck and keeps running, the go-ahead run scores as he either beats the throw back to first or Alonso hits him in the chops which would have been scary, and irony of all ironies.)
Then with the Mets taking their ghost runner turn in the bottom of the 10th, the Rangers brought in Aroldis Chapman to try to keep the run from scoring. The disaster that is Chapmen trumped all disasters, natural and otherwise tonight. He loaded the bases on two walks … one intentional and one not … to set up D.J. Stewart to be the ultimate hero …
AROLDIS CHAPMAN HITS DJ STEWART AND THE METS WIN IT!!!! pic.twitter.com/SnL1hbsNPu
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 31, 2023
When Chapman walked Alvarez, you knew the game was toast for him. He was having one of those days, and you knew it would end badly for him because he did that when he was actually good. It was a little serendipity that it was Stewart that took the bruise for the victory. A victory that made you forget that the Mets actually lost this series. Bless you, D.J.
Next up: Friday, and the debut of the most intriguing prospect the Mets had going into the season. Maybe the Mets can Elly De La Cruz their way back into the fringes of the wild card race enough to really piss us off when they run out of time.
Also, props to Denyi Reyes and his 5 and 1/3 innings tonight. And props to Joey Lucchesi for being alive.
Scary scene at Triple-A as Joey Lucchesi took a 106-mph line drive off the base of his neck, in the area of his collarbone. The ball narrowly missed Lucchesi's face, but he managed to stay in the game and record the next out on one pitch.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 31, 2023
Dies, returns, gets an out on one pitch. Fun times in Syracuse.
Today’s Hate List
The two idiots that ran on the field to hug Ronald Acuna.
MLB had better get its act together on the player safety, or something really awful is going to happen in front of 40,000 witnesses.
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