Stevenson began the day in Syracuse, getting set to play for the Triple-A Chiefs against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Around 2:30 p.m., he learned he was being called up to the Nats, along with infielder Adrian Sanchez, to take the roster spots previously occupied by Murphy and Adams.
Unable to get a flight to D.C. at such short notice, Stevenson and Sanchez were forced to drive. And with Sanchez taking along his wife and child, Stevenson had to drive alone.
Thus, an epic road trip through the rain from Syracuse to Washington began.
The legend grows: He got the call around 3 pm that he needed to be in Washington. Drove six hours through the pouring rain from Syracuse. How did he avoid speeding traps? Waze, of course.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse)
August 22, 2018 Six hours later, Stevenson and Sanchez arrived at the ballpark, the game in the midst of a rain delay.
Stevenson and Sanchez drove here from Syracuse. Sanchez had his wife and kid, so they drove separately. Got here during the rain delay. Worked out well.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes)
August 22, 2018 The game resumed, and the Phillies gradually built a 4-2 lead. With one out and Matt Wieters on first in the bottom of the sixth, Davey Martinez pinch-hit Stevenson for reliever Jimmy Cordero. Then, this happened.
Andrew Stevenson's first career @mlb HR was of the game-tying variety. pic.twitter.com/oZWmyhGCDe
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals)
August 22, 2018 It was Stevenson's first homer of his MLB career, and capped out what must have been one of the most insane days of his life. The fun didn't stop there for the Nats, though, as Wilmer Difo stepped up to the plate after Stevenson and broke the 4-4 deadlock.
--2⃣-- pic.twitter.com/xere10PSXi
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals)
August 22, 2018 If you had told me the third time the Nationals hit back-to-back home runs would come on August 21 with them a game under .500 and it would be Andrew Stevenson and Wilmer Difo. I probably would have responded in an impolite and condescending manner and/or muted you on Twitter.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes)
August 22, 2018 The Nats tacked on five more runs to close out the victory, and if he hadn't dealt with another moisture that day already, Stevenson got a post-game Gatorade shower for his pinch-hit, game-tying homer.
this is painful pic.twitter.com/YFxoxqCkC8
— Danny (@recordsANDradio)
August 22, 2018 It's unlikely Stevenson's heroics turn the Nats' season around, but the story of his legendary Tuesday 100-percent deserves a film adaptation.
