Mets takeaways from Wednesday's 6-5 extra-inning win over Rangers, including DJ Stewart's two home runs

The Mets needed extra innings, but they beat the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night in 10 innings to avoid the series sweep.

Here are the takeaways...

- After offensive struggles the last two games, the Mets got the scoring started early on Wednesday night and put up a three-spot in the second inning. Daniel Vogelbach and DJ Stewart – two of the hottest hitters in New York’s lineup right now – did most of the heavy lifting, hitting back-to-back home runs off Rangers starter Dane Dunning to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.

- Similar to his home run on Tuesday off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning, Mark Vientos followed with a two-out, two-strike single up the middle that kept the rally going. After a walk to Rafael Ortega, Brandon Nimmo scorched a ground-rule double that drove in a run to give New York a three-run lead, but it could’ve brought in a second run if the ball hadn’t bounced over the wall.

- On the mound, Denyi Reyes – who was called up prior to the game to make the spot start and just his fourth career major league start – looked good from the beginning. Through the first ten batters he faced, Reyes allowed one hit. His lone blemish came leading off the fourth inning when the right-hander surrendered a solo shot to Corey Seager that put Texas on the board. Reyes collected himself and retired the next three hitters in order.

The 26-year-old finished his night by going a career-high 5.1 innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits, no walks and three strikeouts on 78 pitches (50 strikes). He left with a runner on first base who came around to score after Sean Reid-Foley came in for relief and issued three straight walks to force in a run and close the book on Reyes who had the best start of his career.

- Pitching on his birthday and in a bases-loaded mess of his own creation, Reid-Foley pulled off a birthday miracle by striking out the next two batters he faced to keep the Mets up by a run.

- Unfortunately, after that three-run second inning New York’s offense went silent once again. The Mets had a prime chance to score in the fifth after loading the bases with one out and Vogelbach due up, but now facing the lefty Martin Perez out of the bullpen, manager Buck Showalter used Francisco Alvarez as a pinch-hitter who promptly grounded into an inning-ending double play.

- The lack of add-on runs came back to bite the Mets and their bullpen in the eighth inning. Still up 3-2, Brooks Raley started things off by allowing two singles and a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Adam Ottavino came in and immediately poured gasoline on the flames by hitting Adolis Garcia to force in the tying run. It looked like Ottavino might get out of the jam without further damage after getting a double play hit right back to him, but the righty wasn’t able to close the door and allowed a two-run single to Jonah Heim that put the Rangers ahead, 5-3.

- In the next half-inning, Stewart bailed out the bullpen by mashing his second home run of the game, this one a two-run shot that tied things up at five all. It was Stewart’s eighth home run in his last 13 games and he now has nine homers on the season with a 1.015 OPS in 86 at-bats.

- Stewart’s heroics continued in the ninth inning, this time with his glove, after making a sensational running catch at the wall on a ball scalded by Marcus Semien that would’ve driven in the runner at first base had the play not been made. Jeff Brigham, who started the inning, also had a huge strikeout of Nathaniel Lowe with the go-ahead run in scoring position to end the inning.

With a chance to win the game in the ninth after Francisco Lindor walked and stole second base, Jeff McNeil popped out to third base to end the frame and send it to extra innings. In extras, and Brigham still out there, the righty allowed a single and a walk to load the bases with nobody out. However, a lineout and a brilliantly turned 3-2-4 double play got the Mets out of trouble.

- In the bottom of the tenth, Chapman intentionally walked Pete Alonso before walking Alvarez to bring up Stewart, and on this night, who else would be responsible for the game-winning run thanks to a hit-by-pitch that gave the Mets a wild win.

Highlights

What's next

After an off day on Thursday, the Mets start a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners on Friday, Sept. 1 at Citi Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

RHP Kodai Senga (10-7, 3.17 ERA) will start for New York while the M's have yet to announce a starter.