‘Coach’ interviews Reds’ Sal Stewart after 2-HR outburst

TL;DR

Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds had a breakout game, hitting two home runs and driving in six RBIs in an 8-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants. He is currently leading the team in batting average and RBIs.

Key points

Sal Stewart hit two home runs in a game against the Giants.
He recorded a career-high six RBIs in that game.
Stewart leads the Reds in batting average and RBIs.

Cincinnati RedsSan Francisco GiantsSal StewartMLB

Rookie first baseman Sal Stewart is the most consistent cog in a scuffling Cincinnati Reds offense.

Stewart entered the Wednesday, April 15 game against the San Francisco Giants pacing the Reds in batting average (.310) and RBIs (11) while sharing the team lead in home runs (five). Meanwhile, Cincinnati ranked 27th in MLB with just 56 runs scored.

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All that was before Stewart made the biggest statement of his career.

The young slugger hit three-run home runs in his first two at-bats, leading Cincinnati past San Francisco 8-3. He finished 2-for-4 with his first multi-homer game and a career-high six RBIs.

After the game, Stewart got the call to discuss his performance on MLB Network. Turns out, he was no stranger to the interviewer.

“Sal, this is your favorite high school coach,” said former big-leader Mike Lowell, now a studio host at MLB Network.

Lowell, who won World Series with the Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox during a 13-year MLB career, is one of several big-leaguers who mentored Stewart. The 22-year-old attended Winchester Christian High School in Miami. He also received instruction from Yonder Alonso and Manny Machado, among others.

At first, Lowell asked Stewart an innocuous question about his opposite-field approach. Then he got down to business giving his pupil a hard time, inquiring whether Stewart thought about hitting yet another blast in his third at-bat.

The question elicited a big laugh from Stewart.

“Yeah, I was looking for that third one,” Stewart admitted. “I wanted five. Once I looked up at that scoreboard, I said, ‘Naw, I could go after it, for sure.’ That’s what I get; I ground out to third base. I took my butt back to the dugout.”

Lowell’s MLB Network partner Chris Young then asked Stewart how he felt about having so many high-profile mentors.

“How fortunate am I to have all those guys, all such great players? With one ring of the phone, I can talk to them and tell them anything,” Stewart said.

Q&A

What were Sal Stewart's stats in the game against the Giants?

Sal Stewart went 2-for-4 with two home runs and a career-high six RBIs in the game against the San Francisco Giants.

How is Sal Stewart performing this season for the Reds?

Sal Stewart is leading the Cincinnati Reds with a batting average of .310 and 11 RBIs, sharing the team lead with five home runs.

What impact did Sal Stewart's performance have on the Reds' game?

Stewart's two home runs and six RBIs were crucial in leading the Reds to an 8-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants.