NEW YORK -- The New York Mets have found that desperately needed bat.
After extra innings between the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds in the resumption of a suspended game delayed Steven Matz's introduction, the native of Stony Brook, New York, finally took the mound 50 miles from his Long Island childhood home at 4:38 p.m. ET Sunday.
Matz proceeded to go 3-for-3 and drive in four runs -- the most RBIs by a player in franchise history in his major league debut.
Not by a pitcher. By a player.
On the mound, Matz surrendered a pair of solo homers but was otherwise unscathed in 7⅔ innings.
The Mets beat the Reds 7-2 to sweep the series and win their fourth straight game overall.
He allowed two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six. He logged a season-high 110 pitches and departed after a two-out walk in the eighth.
Matz produced the most RBIs by a debuting major league pitcher in the past 100 years. The performance at the plate helped snap a string of six straight games in which the Mets (40-37) had scored two or fewer runs.
He was hitting .304 this season with Triple-A Las Vegas in addition to sporting a Pacific Coast League-best 2.19 ERA, but apparently word had not circulated to the majors. Reds starter Josh Smith intentionally walked No. 8 hitter Eric Campbell with two outs in the second to bring up Matz, who smoked a two-run double that cleared the head of speedy center fielder Billy Hamilton. Matz pumped his fist after arriving at second base, having staked the Mets to a 2-1 lead. Matz's third hit was a two-run single in the sixth against Pedro Villarreal with the bases loaded, which staked the Mets to a 5-2 lead.
Matz became the third pitcher in franchise history to produce an extra-base hit in his major league debut, joining Matt Harvey (2012) and David West (1988). All three were doubles. Like Matz's two-bagger, Harvey's double also came in his first career at-bat.
Matz also become the second pitcher in franchise history with an RBI in his MLB debut. Dillon Gee produced a single RBI in 2010 -- also in his first at-bat.
He singled through the left side of the infield in the fifth when shortstop Eugenio Suarez vacated his position to man second base with Campbell running from first on the pitch.
With runners on the corners, Curtis Granderson followed with an RBI double against Smith that gave the Mets to a 3-2 lead.
Matz became the 10th player in the majors since 2000 with four or more RBIs in his major league debut. That list includes Starlin Castro, Brandon Crawford, Jason Heyward and Ian Desmond.
Matz surrendered a homer to Brandon Phillips, the first batter the southpaw faced in the majors -- at least after a replay reversed the original ruling that the ball remained in play. He also surrendered a solo homer to Todd Frazier in the fourth that evened the score at 2-2.
Second coming: Wilmer Flores made his first start at second base since last September as the Mets end his shortstop usage, at least for now. Flores had a mostly uneventful game, although he did nonchalantly shovel to first base Brayan Pena's leadoff grounder in the second inning.
He loves New York: Phillips has now hit safely in all 32 games as a visitor against the Mets. That matches Luis Castillo (Marlins, 2001-05) for the longest hitting streak by a road player against the Mets in history.
What's next: After playing 16 innings on Sunday, the Mets take a day off. When they regroup, Jonathon Niese opposes Chicago Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Cubs reportedly are interested in a potential trade for Niese. The Cubs swept the Mets in a four-game series in mid-May at Wrigley Field.