By Hal McCoy
The national pundits and the Las Vegas oddsmakers say that St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt is way ahead in the National League Rookie of the Year considerations.
They say Sal Stewart is a distant second.
What are they watching?
Stewart’s numbers are not only Rookie of the Year worthy, he should collect some MVP votes.
Stewart’s numbers put Wetherholt’s in a dark closet and Stewart’s numbers keep mounting.
If they watched the Cincinnati Reds-Cardinals game Wednesday night in rain-drenched Great American Ball Park, they might say, “Hey, Sal is the guy.”
Stewart’s three-run home run when all seemed lost for the Reds turned it all around for a 5-4 victory.
For five innings, the Reds had one lonely single off St. Louis starter Matthew Libertore and hadn’t scored a run in 14 innings.
Libertore is an 11-game loser and has lost five of his last six starts. But on this night he resembled Sandy Koufax, which is no surprise. Koufax was his choldhood idol and he wears number 32, the number worn by Koufax, a Hall of Famer.
So the Reds trailes, 2-0, entering the sixth and Matt McLain was the team’s only baserunner after his two-out single in the third.
With one out in the sixth, McLain doubled off the left field wall. Elly De La Cruz singled off the glove of second baseman Wetherholt.
Stewart worked the count to 1-and-2. Two strikes. Stewart does his best work with two strikes.
Libertore dangled a 94 miles an hour fastball and Stewart nearly knocked down the black batter’s eye in dead center, 422 feet from home plate.
Stewart leads the league with 94 RBI and 43 have come with two strikes.
And suddenly the Reds led, 3-2. With a heavy downnpour turning the pitcher’s mound into a muddy quagmire, the Reds scored two runs in the eighth, using a pair of nifty bunts by McClain and Dane Myers into runs.
Then it was Reds closer Emilio Pagan slip-sliding on the mound and digging mud out of his cleats after nearly every pitch in the ninth inning.
He gave up a two-out, two-run home run to Jordan Walker to make it 5-4. Jose Fermin doubled, then took third pitch on a wild pitch, putting the potential tying run on third base.
Pagan then made the second best defensive play of the game. Masyn Winn dribbled one between the mound and third base.
Pagan was on it like a cat on a mouse. He barehanded it and threw his best pitch of the night, a game-ending strike to first baseman Stewart.
It was shaky, but it was Pagan’s 12th straight appearance with either a save or a win and his 11th straight save since last blowing one.
The best defensive play?
It came in the third inning with the score still 0-0. Blaze Jordan was on first with two outs and Wetherholt jolted one off the right center field wall.
Jordan tried to score. Center fielder Dane Myers threw a perfect relay to De La Cruz. He whirled and threw a 99 miles an hour strike to catcher Jose Trevino and Jordan was out.
“I was backing up home plate and saw it all,” said Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns. “Elly? He’s a freak.”
That saved run proved big.
After the game, Stewart was asked if Rookie of the Year is on his mind. After all, he leads the league with 94 RBI and has 27 homers, more often than not in clutch situations.
“Yeah, of course, any competitor it would mean something to them,” he said. “Does it define my season? It doesn’t define my season. It doesn’t define who I am.”
Stewart offered up a litany of players he considers strong rookies — five of them — and he added, “I could go down the list. I don’t really like that question. Obviously it would mean a lot to me to win, I’m a competitor, but it doesn’t define who I am.”
It is as clear as if written on a giant billboard: “No playoffs for the Cincinnati Reds, not even the lowly third wild card spot.”
They remain 7 1/2 games out of the final wild card spot with only 35 games remaining and five teams to climb over.
“We haven’t been playing to the best of our ability,” said Stewart. “And I understand that. I’m trying to go out there and do the best I can. We all are. It hasn’t been going our way, but we know we’re better. So this is not about me, it’s about us winning the game.
“And I’m happy that we keep sticking together. We have a good group who wants to go out there and win games.”
Reds manager Tito Francona was asked what makes a young player, a rookie, like Stewart such a clutch player.
“Number one, he is a good hitter,” he said. “I know he relishes those opportunities. And I’m thankful he does because at that point we had nothing going. Sal took a beautiful swing, then we held on for dear life.”
Chase Burns held the Cardinals to two runs and six hits over five innings with eight strikeouts. But he was at 104 pitches after five and finished.
Sam Moll, Brock Burke and Luis Mey (one inning, a walk and three strikeouts) held the Cardinals scoreless until Pagan’s narrow escape in the ninth.
“The Cardinals did a really good job on Chase. They made him work real hard,” said Francona. “That’s the last thing I wanted him to do was throw 104 pitches in five innings. That’s tough. But the kid competes like crazy.”