A.J. Ewing Shines in Mets’ 8-1 Victory Over Braves, Just Misses Cycle

A.J. Ewing once again proved the New York Mets made the right decision in promoting him from the minors earlier this season. The 21-year-old showcased his talent in an impressive 8-1 victory against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field, coming tantalizingly close to hitting for the cycle, finishing the game just a triple shy.

Despite entering the game with only one hit in his last 11 at-bats, Ewing made his presence felt early on. He started the scoring frenzy with an opposite-field double during a four-run first inning, followed by a single to center in the third, and capped off his performance with a homer to right in the fifth. His manager, Carlos Mendoza, praised Ewing’s ability to rise to the occasion against tough pitching, calling his performance against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder “impressive.”

“I just want to be myself and stay as simple as possible,” Ewing said, reflecting on his approach at the plate. Mendoza noted that Ewing’s maturity has been evident, especially after experiencing some challenging games earlier in the season. “It shows how he handles stuff,” Mendoza remarked, highlighting Ewing’s consistency and ability to remain unfazed by ups and downs.

Mendoza compared Ewing to fellow rookie outfielder Carson Benge, pointing out their shared resilience in their first major league season. “You can’t tell if he went 0-fer or had a good game,” Mendoza said. “He’s gonna use the whole field. He hit a homer to the pull side, plays defense, and runs the bases.” Ewing’s development at the big league level continues to impress, as he learns and adjusts to the rigors of MLB play.

In the ever-changing landscape of the Mets’ starting rotation, Mendoza announced that Tobias Myers is slated to start the series opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. Myers, who has been at Triple-A Syracuse, pitched 2 ²/₃ innings last Thursday. Despite his limited action, Mendoza indicated that Myers could be stretched out a bit more for this start. “He’s gonna go,” Mendoza confirmed when asked if Myers would serve solely as an opener. “We’ll see how the game unfolds. We’ve got a pitch count in mind.”

Following Myers, the Mets are preparing for the next two games in Cincinnati, with Christian Scott and Nolan McLean lined up to take the mound. Myers, who was acquired along with Freddy Peralta from Milwaukee in the offseason, hasn’t pitched more than two innings in the majors since his outing on May 2.

After a rough start in his previous appearance, Peralta managed to settle in against the Braves, allowing three hits in the early going as Atlanta jumped on his four-seam fastball. Adjustments made in collaboration with catcher Luis Torrens led Peralta to lean less on his fastball, incorporating his curveball, slider, and sweeper more effectively. This strategy allowed him to navigate through five innings, albeit needing 90 pitches to do so. “I was able to make pitches when I needed to,” Peralta said. “I was looking forward to [pitching] at least six, but some things happened.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.