Calling up A.J. Ewing was a desperate move by the Mets.
Also, necessary.
That it was both defines where the Mets are a quarter of the way through what has so far been a disaster movie. They have been listless and lifeless, and for his 251 minor league games — just 12 at Triple-A the past two weeks — Ewing has been an Energizer Bunny, capable of getting on base and then creating havoc once there.
And Tuesday night, a babe led them. It wasn’t just that the second-lowest scoring team in the majors amassed 10 runs. It was that the Mets did so with one good at-bat after another — a 10-2 rout of Detroit filled with running deep counts, well-struck balls and terrific situational hitting. The best of it was from Ewing, who tripled, walked three times (once with the bases loaded), stole a base and drove a flyout to the center field warning track — every plate appearance came with a precocious gleam.