DJ Stewart’s go-ahead 3-run homer lifts Mets over Cubs to even series

DJ Stewart was only told he was making the team the day before Opening Day. With the Mets having signed DH J.D. Martinez late in spring training, he knew his spot wasn’t guaranteed and it created a stressful few days for Stewart and his wife as they wondered whether or not they would be setting up home for the season with their one-year-old daughter in Syracuse or in Queens.

Tuesday night, the Mets had both sluggers in the lineup and Stewart’s three-run homer in the sixth inning scored Martinez to put the Amazins’ up for good. Three of the four runs the Mets scored Tuesday night were unearned, but earned or not, they still counted in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field.

Stewart’s go-ahead shot off Adbert Alzolay broke a 1-1 tie, giving the fans something to cheer about aside from dollar hot dog night. It was the second time this season the outfielder/DH has come up big for the Mets late in the game, doing so April 8 in Atlanta. Over the last 16 games, Stewart has posted a .958 OPS.

Not bad for the last guy on the roster.

“I know what I’m capable of and I really wanted to be a part of it and help this team,” Stewart said. “Obviously, J.D. makes his team way better. But I think I can do that as well.”

The Cubs (18-12) replaced Assad in the bottom of the sixth after only 78 pitches. With one out, J.D. Martinez reached on an error from Swanson. Alzolay (1-3) retired Jeff McNeil but Tyrone Taylor extended the inning with a single. It was a solid piece of two-strike hitting, and it put two on with two out for Stewart, who mashed an 0-1 cutter over the right field fence.

Back in Atlanta, when Stewart was struggling and wondering if he would be demoted, the manager told him to smile. Stewart grinned toward the dugout as he rounded first base.

“Every time he sees me, he just smiles,” Mendoza said.

Said Stewart: “Just coming up in that situation, I think you saw my emotion just kind of looking into the dugout. Mendy tells me every single day to smile, so I was really just smiling at him when I hit that. That was that.”

Left-hander Sean Manaea, coming off what he called his “best worst start” last week in San Francisco, gave up the tying run in the second. He struck out Christopher Morel for the first out of the inning but walked Dansby Swanson, gave up a single to Mike Tauchman and walked Nick Madrigal to load the bases. Swanson scored on a sacrifice fly by Miguel Amaya.

Manaea was effective over five innings but once again, walks upped his pitch count. He used 92 pitches over those five innings, holding Chicago to only one earned run on three hits, walking four and striking out three.

Manaea walked four his last time out and three each in his previous two starts. His WHIP is up and he’s walking more hitters per nine innings than at any point in his career. Mendoza said the walks aren’t necessarily concerning, but Manaea said they’re “unacceptable.”

“I just lock it in and make pitches when I need to,” Manaea said. “My pitches feel great, I’m just not throwing them enough for strikes and that’s where I start getting into a lot of trouble. Thankfully, I haven’t had too much of a big inning yet, but that’s just asking for things like that.”

With back-to-back eight-inning performances by Mets starters, the bullpen was rested and ready to pick up where Manaea left off.

Sean Reid-Foley (1-0) kept the game tied with a scoreless sixth. Reed Garrett tossed a scoreless seventh and Adam Ottavino retired the side in order in the ninth.

With Edwin Diaz down after having pitched back-to-back nights, Jorge Lopez received the save opportunity in the ninth. He allowed a run but escaped further damage to record his second save of the season.

The only earned run of the night was scored by Francisco Lindor in the bottom of the first, though it was initially ruled as unearned. He took a single off right-hander Javier Assad and broke for second base. First baseman Patrick Wisdom overthrew first base and he reached third, putting him in position to score on a fly ball from Pete Alonso.

Lindor was later credited with a stolen base and Wisdom received an error.

Not for nothing: According to the Citi Field hot dog counter, the total sold for the night was 44,269.