DJ Stewart had a chance on Monday night to tie the game. The tying runs were on base, and Stewart came to the plate as the go-ahead run. He struck out, leaving two men stranded, and eventually, the Mets fell to the Cubs.
Tuesday night, however, presented Stewart with another opportunity.
Tied with the Cubs at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Stewart came to the plate with J.D. Martinez and Tyrone Taylor on base. Two runners on, just like Monday.
Photo by Roberto Carlo
This time, the result was different for Stewart. Facing Adbert Alzolay, Stewart turned on a 92 mph fastball, sending it 388 feet and high up into the Coca-Cola Corner.
The homer gave the Mets a 4-1 lead, and the eventual 4-2 win over the Cubs on Tuesday night. It was Stewart’s fourth homer of the season, three of which have been go-ahead homers in wins for the Mets.
All three of those go-ahead homers came in the clutch. The first was against the Braves, where Stewart’s three-run homer led the Mets to an eventual 8-7 win in Atlanta. The second was a solo homer against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, which gave the Mets an early lead and set the stage for a huge offensive night in Los Angeles.
Tuesday’s go-ahead homer was no different. It was a massive blast, and it gave the Mets a much-needed win after they had lost six of their last nine games coming into Tuesday.
DJ BLAST???????????? DJ Stewart gives the Mets a 4-1 lead with a three-run homer into the Coke Corner.
4-1 Mets Top 7th.pic.twitter.com/qcsAKIUO9X
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) May 1, 2024
“Very proud,” Stewart told the media after the game. “But I know I can do better. I hold myself to a high standard, higher than a lot of people, but I’m just glad to contribute in that situation and help the team win.”
Stewart certainly was monumental in the Mets’ win on Tuesday. And all season long. Despite only batting .208 this season, Stewart leads the team with an .849 OPS, 145 OPS+, and is third on the team with 14 runs driven in.
All of which is impressive when factoring in the Martinez signing. Stewart knew his role would diminish, and consistent at-bats would be scarce, but still is finding ways to produce with the team.
Yet, despite having a smaller role, and not coming up clutch in every moment, Stewart is calm, producing, and smiling with his manager.
“Just coming up in that situation I think you saw my emotions looking into the dugout,” Stewart said. “Like I said, Mendy tells me every day to smile so I was really just smiling at him.”
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