Mets Fall To Cardinals 8-7, DJ Stewart Tallies A Cycle
The New York Mets (9-11) took on the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, Match 19, where the Mets got a stellar performance from left fielder DJ Stewart, who hit for the cycle. At Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the Mets fell 8-7. David Peterson and Tylor Megill carried the pitching load for New York, […]
The post Mets Fall To Cardinals 8-7, DJ Stewart Tallies A Cycle first appeared on Metsmerized Online.
David Peterson. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO
The New York Mets (9-11) took on the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, Match 19, where the Mets got a stellar performance from left fielder DJ Stewart, who hit for the cycle. At Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the Mets fell 8-7. David Peterson and Tylor Megill carried the pitching load for New York, with the latter struggling.
The Mets opened the game with a big five-run first inning where the entire lineup got to bat. Danny Mendick led off the bottom of the first with a 385-foot solo shot to put the Mets up 1-0.
Danny Mendick with a 385-foot home run to begin the day for the #Mets.
1-0 #Mets, bottom 1. pic.twitter.com/rFKMnci16e
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 19, 2023
Next, Luis Guillorme doubled to put a man on second, Mark Canha then drove him home via a RBI-single three batters later. Mark Vientos followed this by driving Canha home with another RBI-single. Stewart ended the scoring in the inning by tripling to bring in two more runs to bring the game to 5-0.
The #Mets explode for five runs & five hits in the first inning against Dakota Hudson.
It included run-scoring hits from Mark Canha, Mark Vientos, and DJ Stewart (2-RBI triple).
5-0 #Mets, top 2. pic.twitter.com/Ye64dqNAuE
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 19, 2023
Peterson pitched the first four frames of the game and only allowed one hit and four walks to keep his spring training ERA at 0.00. He struck out four batters over that span. Peterson, who is jockeying for the final rotation spot, is now up to 12 scoreless, one-hit innings in spring training.
The Cardinals would finally score a couple runs of their own after David Robertson entered the game in the top of the fifth inning. After getting the first two batters out, a double off the bat of left fielder Jordan Walker, and a two-run shot from third baseman Nolan Gorman, quickly put the Cardinals in the game, but still trailing, 5-2. Note, in the inning, there was a misplay on a fly ball to center field, which could have gotten Robertson out of the inning without any damage.
Things would get tricky for the Mets as the Cardinals crept even closer in the top of the seventh inning. With Tylor Megill on the mound, after a walk, a hit, and a fielding error by second baseman Jose Peraza, Alec Burleson singled with the bases loaded to drive in a pair of runs to cut the Mets’ lead to 5-4.
Stewart would come back to the plate and drive home Peraza with a two-run homer to complete his bid for the cycle and put the Mets’ lead at 7-4.
DJ Stewart spring training cycle!
He’s 4-for-4 with 4 RBIs.
He’s hitting .458 in spring with a 1.418 OPS. #Mets pic.twitter.com/1gAqzyVek2
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 19, 2023
The Mets’ defense would fall apart in the top of the eighth and give the Cardinals the lead. Thanks to a single, a ground-rule double, and a fielding error, four runs would score to put the Cardinals in front for good 8-7.
Megill walked five batters and gave up six hits in 3 2/3 innings as the losing pitcher in today’s game. Certainly not a good outing in his bid for a rotation spot come the regular season.
DJ Stewart. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO
Player of the Game: DJ Stewart
Look no further than the man who hit the cycle. Outfielder DJ Stewart was that guy for the Mets, going 4-for-4 at the plate with a triple, single, double and a two-run homer, in that order. Stewart drove in four of the Mets’ seven runs on the day.
He is now hitting .455 in spring training. His OPS is up to 1.418.
On Deck:
It’s the last full week of spring training. The Mets (9-12) will play the Washington Nationals (10-9) in Palm Beach, FL, in their final Monday game. The Mets will be off on Tuesday and be back at it on Wednesday against the Houston Astros (9-8).
The post Mets Fall To Cardinals 8-7, DJ Stewart Tallies A Cycle first appeared on Metsmerized Online.