Sal Stewart Just Did Something Only One Other Reds Player Has Done in a Century

Sal Stewart is having a season that’s starting to look like a highlight reel you can’t turn off. And Tuesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, he added another scene that belongs in the franchise archives.

The Reds shortstop drove in six runs for the second time this year in Cincinnati’s 10-2 win over New York. That’s not just a nice stat line. It’s something only one other Reds player has managed in the first 75 games of a season since RBI became an official stat in 1920.

Derek Dietrich did it in 2019. Stewart just matched him with two 6-RBI performances in the team’s first 75 games. The 22-year-old also drove in six runs back on April 15 against the Giants. That puts him in pretty exclusive company.

Stewart went 2-for-4 against the Yankees with two doubles. He cracked a two-run double off Will Warren in the third inning to put the Reds up 2-1. Then he delivered a sacrifice fly in the fifth to stretch the lead to 3-1. The big blow came in the eighth when he cleared the bases with another double, making it 10-1 and effectively ending any drama.

It’s worth noting that Warren didn’t exactly have an easy day. But Stewart made it look even harder. He’s been a consistent pain for opposing pitchers all month.

The Reds got help from other spots too. Edwin Arroyo collected four hits in five at-bats, which is the kind of day that tends to get overlooked when a teammate is making history. Spencer Steer added a three-run homer in the fifth inning, giving the Reds more than enough cushion.

Andrew Abbott picked up the win, improving to 5-4. He pitched five innings and gave up one earned run, which came on a Paul Goldschmidt solo shot. That was about the only bright spot for the Yankees all afternoon.

Stewart’s performance also caught the attention of baseball stats analysts. Sarah Langs pointed out on social media that he’s just the second Reds player since 1920 to put up two 6-RBI games in the team’s first 75 contests. For a franchise with as much history as Cincinnati, that’s not nothing.

The Reds have now taken two of three from the Yankees in this series. They’ve been hitting the ball hard all week, and Stewart has been the guy in the middle of most of the damage. If he keeps this up, that piece of history he just tied might not stand alone for long.