That month in the minors sure seems to be paying dividends for Francisco Alvarez.
In his second game since being recalled, the third-year catcher keyed the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night with a crucial two-run home run.
The Mets were trailing, 2-0, with two outs in the fifth when Alvarez launched his game-tying blast against Angels starter Kyle Hendricks into the left-field stands at Citi Field.
An elated Alvarez raised his first as he rounded first base, breaking into his first home-run trot since returning to the majors.
“The best feeling, for me, is that we’re winning,” Alvarez, who finished 1-for-4, said through a team interpreter.
Alvarez’s fourth homer of the season jump-started a Mets rally, as Ronny Mauricio followed with a single and a stolen base, then scored on Brandon Nimmo’s go-ahead RBI single.
Nimmo’s hit was the fourth in a row for the Mets, who had been held by Hendricks to one bloop single through the first 4.2 innings.
“Baseball is a huge momentum game,” Nimmo said. “For [Alvarez] to be able to tie the game up right there, it was a huge, huge at-bat. It gave us all a jolt of energy.”
Alvarez, 23, was hitting .236 with three homers and a .652 OPS when the Mets optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse on June 22.
Despite his struggles, the move came as a surprise, considering Alvarez had been a starter since he debuted in 2023 as one of baseball’s premier prospects.
The Mets always hoped Alvarez would return quickly, but they wanted him to work through his issues with everyday reps in the minors.
“When we made the decision to send him back down, it was necessary at the time because we knew how important he is for this team,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We needed him to get back on track, and it’s hard to do it at the big-league level when you’re looking for results pretty much day in and day out.”
Alvarez responded with 11 homers in 19 games at Triple-A, prompting the Mets to call him up before Monday’s series opener against the Angels.
Alvarez is now 2-for-6 with the homer, a double, two walks and three runs since rejoining the Mets. After Tuesday’s win, Mendoza praised Alvarez’s locked-in approach and good swing decisions.
“You’ve got to give this kid a lot of credit, because the moment he got back down there, he just kept working,” Mendoza said. “He could pout and feel sorry for himself, and that wasn’t the case. And then here he is now, looking like the Alvy we know he’s capable of.”
Tuesday’s performance came in support of Mets starter Frankie Montas, who worked around eight hits and two walks to limit the Angels to two runs in 5.2 innings.
Montas was dinged by Jorge Soler’s solo homer in the second inning and Nolan Schanuel’s RBI double in the fifth. But Montas prevented further damage in that fifth inning by striking Mike Trout out with two runners in scoring position, then getting Jo Adell to fly out to center with the bases loaded.
Montas, whose season debut was delayed by three months due to a spring-training lat strain, picked up the win to improve to 3-1 with a 4.62 ERA in five starts.
“I feel pretty good. I would love to finish the sixth inning, but step by step,” said Montas, whose 5.2 innings matched his season-high. “I definitely feel better every time I step on the mound. I feel like my pitches are moving better. … I’m throwing more strikes, and I’m definitely making progress every start.”
Tuesday marked Montas’ first time pitching to Alvarez.
“He was a big part of keeping me in the game,” said Montas, who struck out six. “Just mentally, being aware of what kinds of pitches were working and letting me know.”
Mets relievers Rico Garcia, Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek recorded the final 10 outs to preserve the one-run lead. Filling in for closer Edwin Diaz, who pitched the previous two days, Stanek got Trout to pop out with runners on first and second to end the ninth.
It was a less successful night for Francisco Lindor, who went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and extended his hitless streak to 0-for-30.
That set a new career-worst for Lindor, who previously went through an 0-for-27 drought in 2016 when he was a second-year player for Cleveland.
“It’s part of it, but the one thing about [Lindor], he’s too smart,” Mendoza said before Tuesday’s game. “He’s always watching film. He’s always talking to the hitting coaches. Yesterday, he was out there hitting early. He did it again today.”
The Mets (58-44) go for a series sweep on Wednesday afternoon, with left-hander Sean Manaea (0-1, 2.45 ERA) set to pitch for the third time since returning from a spring-training oblique strain. The Angels (49-52) have not announced a starter.
Originally Published:
