Jul 21, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) follows through on a two run single against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
QUEENS, NY — At least for one night, Mets bats showed a pulse, and they found just enough to bail out their arms.
Overturning a 4-0 deficit, the Mets used a three-run seventh inning to tie things up at five apiece before plating another two in the bottom of the eighth on their way to a 7-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night at Citi Field.
They were gifted the go-ahead run when pinch-hitter Ronny Mauricio’s sharp grounder was snared by a spinning Yoah Moncada at third, but his throw home was dropped by catcher Logan O’Hoppe, allowing Brett Baty to cross as the go-ahead run. Brandon Nimmo’s sacrifice fly scored Francisco Alvarez from third one batter later to put the Mets up two.
The decisive eighth inning was set up by Alvarez’s double — a deep fly to right that came within inches of clearing the fence, but hit off the wall and just beyond the grasp of Los Angeles’ Chris Taylor. The New York catcher, who went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, was appearing in his first MLB game in a month after he was demoted to Triple-A.
“It feels good and it’s super important,” Alvarez said of his big night. “Especially because we got the win. Had we lost this game and I would’ve hit that double and thrown out a runner, it wouldn’t have felt the same. We’re here for the reson of winning. That’s the most important thing.”
It was just the third time in the Mets’ (57-44) last nine games that they scored more than three runs, and good enough for their second straight win after losing three straight.
“Watching him the whole game, the takes, a couple of walks, and then for him to drive the ball like that against a righty, that’s a really good sign,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza added about Alvarez. “It’s the confidence that you could see in the box. Just knowing that he’s in control of the at-bat.”
Juan Soto’s two-run single with one out in the bottom of the seventh drew the Mets level at five apiece after entering the frame trailing by three. New York was able to run the previously cruising Angels starter Tyler Anderson after just two batters when Alvarez walked and Luisangel Acuna singled to put runners at the corners.
Against reliever Reid Detmers, Nimmo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Francisco Lindor beat out a double play to plate Alvarez before Soto came through.
Mets ace Kodai Senga, making his second start since recovering from a hamstring strain, lasted just three innings and allowed a season-high four earned runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
The Angels plated three of those four runs against Senga in the third inning, which followed a solo home run in the second from West Islip, NY native Logan O’Hoppe.
With two outs in the frame and one on, Senga walked Mike Trout, and yielded a two-run double to Taylor Ward down the left-field line. Lindor’s relay throw to get Trout was high, allowing Ward to move to third. He came in to score on Jo Adell’s single.
Ward went 2-for-4 with three RBI on the day, adding an RBI single in the seventh off Mets reliever Chris Devenski to put Los Angeles up three after Baty halved the Mets’ deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning with his 11th home run of the season. New York’s third baseman continues a promising stretch in which, up to that point, he was slashing .311/.376/.475 (.852 OPS) since June 23.
Baty made an equally important play in the field in the seventh to keep the Mets’ deficit at three. With Trout on third and one out, he gathered an Adell bouncer at the apex of his leap and fired home to Alvarez to cut the Angels star down.
“This is a confidence-based player who is getting results when he knows that he’s going to be in the lineup and that he continues to help us win a baseball game,” Mendoza said of Baty. “It’s kind of like, ‘Alright, it’s all about winning here.’”
Devenski, along with Kevin Herget, Huscar Brazoban, Brooks Raley, and closer Edwin Diaz combined to hold the Angels to just a single run across the final six innings. Diaz put the flourish on the strong showing from the bullpen, striking out the side in the ninth.
“Unbelievable job,” Mendoza said. “Especially when the starter goes down after three innings and you have a couple of guys down. Herget was really, really good there… Devo, Brazoban… and then once we get back in the game, we went to the high-leverage guy in Brooks… and then Edwin shutting them down. So, pretty incredible.”
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