DJ Stewart homers twice to lift the Mets to an 8-3 victory over the Pirates
DJ Stewart had his first multihomer game in two years on Wednesday, leading the New York Mets to an 8-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Stewart, who also homered as a pinch-hitter in Tuesday's 7-4 loss, hit a solo shot in the second inning Wednesday off Johan Oviedo (6-13) and delivered a two-run homer in the fifth off Ryan Borucki. The two-homer game was the third of Stewart's career and his first since Aug. 12, 2021, when he went deep twice for the Baltimore Orioles.
Stewart also had a pair of pivotal plays in right field. He began the relay that resulted in Andrew McCutcheon being thrown out at home in the fifth before making an over-the-shoulder catch of Ke'Bryan Hayes' fly ball with two on to end the sixth and the Mets up 6-3.
Pete Alonso hit his 36th homer, a solo shot that moved him into the Mets' top 10 list in RBIs with 469, snapping a tie with Keith Hernandez.
Francisco Lindor hit a two-run single, while Brandon Nimmo and Rafael Ortega had an RBI apiece for the Mets, who won just their second series since completing a selloff at the trade deadline.
Bryan Reynolds hit a two-run homer for the Pirates, while Alika Williams had a run-scoring single.
Tylor Megill (7-6) earned his first win in exactly two months after giving up two runs in five innings.
Oviedo allowed four runs and walked five in four-plus innings.
DÍAZ GETTING CLOSER
Mets closer Edwin Díaz, who suffered a torn right patellar tendon in the World Baseball Classic in March, threw in a bullpen Wednesday morning. The team hasn't ruled out the possibility Díaz could pitch this season.
"I'm not going to sit here and tell you I know exactly how it's going to be and what he's going to do," Mets manager Buck Showalter said. "But he's done his part. He's been a guy that's showed up — everything we've asked of him and then some. The only thing we've had to do is slow him down some.
"I hope we have that decision to make."
THIS PIRATE TRENDS UP
Hayes went 2-for-5 and finished the season batting .444 (12-for-27) against the Mets — the highest single-season average by a Pirates player with at least 25 at-bats against New York since Gregory Polanco hit .500 in 26 at-bats in 2018.
WALK OF LIFE
The teams combined to issue 13 walks Wednesday and 27 in the three-game series.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: CF Joshua Palacios (gastrointestinal illness), who was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning Tuesday, felt better Wednesday but didn't play.
Mets: The Mets recalled RHP Dennis Santana from Triple-A Syracuse and optioned RHP José Butto to the same affiliate. … IF Mark Vientos (left wrist) underwent an MRI that revealed inflammation. He is day-to-day. Vientos was 0-for-2 Tuesday before being replaced by Stewart. … LHP David Peterson, who absorbed a comebacker off his right wrist in Tuesday's start, underwent an X-ray that revealed no damage.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Have yet to announce a starter for Friday, when Pittsburgh continues a six-game road trip by visiting the Minnesota Twins.
Mets: LHP José Quintana (0-4, 3.03 ERA) opens a four-game set at the St. Louis Cardinals. Quintana is winless in five starts despite allowing three runs or fewer each time.