Ryne fine in closer's role as Mets again make Angels blue

Mets 3 Angels 2 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 58-44

Mets streak: Won 3

Last 10: 5-5

WP -Frankie Montas (3-1)

LP - Kyle Hendricks (5-7)

SV -Ryne Stanek (3)

Seat on the Korner: Ryne Stanek

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

Ryne Stanek has had his share of difficult moments this season and his inconsistency out of the bullpen has been a factor during the Mets' struggles that began in June. But on a night when the team was short of high-leverage relievers — with the likes of Huascar Brazobán and Edwin Diaz unavailable after pitching two straight games — Stanek stepped up and delivered in the closer's role for the second time in three games to get the call from Ralph for a post-game chat. Stanek has been on point of late, pitching scoreless innings against Cincinnati on Saturday and Sunday, earning the save in the latter outing. To lock down the Mets' second victory in this series, Stanek would have to get through the top of the Angels' order. He did yield hits to Logan O'Hoppe and Nolan Schanuel that sandwiched a strikeout and fly out, and found himself needing to get through three-time MVP Mike Trout, who was 3-for-7 with two home runs against Stanek in his career. But Stanek jammed Trout on a 1-1 pitch, getting him to pop harmlessly to Pete Alonso at first to seal the deal and set up a potential series sweep for the Mets.

Need to Know

• Juan Soto gunned down Nolan Schanuel, who ws trying to score from second on a single to right field by Mike Trout in the first inning. It was Soto's sixth assist of the season.

• Jorge Soler put the Angels on top with two out in the second inning when he slammed a solo home run to left field.

  
  

• Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel had a four-hit night in five trips with two doubles, including one down the right-field line in the fifth inning that gave LA a 2-0 lead.

• Francisco Lindor's struggles have reached a career-worst 0-for-his-last-30 with an 0-for-4 night that included two strikeouts. But Mr. Smile hasn't been pressing, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, and in fact had a friendly chat with Mets owner Steve Cohen while on deck for his seventh-inning at-bat.

  
  

• The Mets had three more stolen bases in three tries, with Ronny Mauricio, Juan Soto and Luisangel Acuna all swiping sacks — Acuna's despite a pitchout by the Angels in the eighth inning. The Amazin's have 81 stolen bases in 91 attempts this season. Soto's theft gave him a career-high 13.

  
  

• The Mets bullpen was solid for a second straight night, with Rico Garcia (one inning) and Reed Garrett (1.1 innings) setting up Stanek.

• The Mets seventh inning began with Francisco Alvarez reaching on an error by Angels shortstop Zach Neto, followed by an error by LA first baseman Nolan Schanuel on a chopper off the bat of Ronny Mauricio. Still, the Mets failed to extend their lead, as Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor and — after an intentional walk to Juan Soto — Pete Alonso all struck out.

• Paul Blackburn made a rehab start for Triple A Syracuse, giving up three hits and an earned run while striking out five over five innings.

• With Philadelphia beating the Red Sox 4-1, the Mets remained a half-game behind the first-place Phillies.

• The Mets are 36-16 at home, the best home record in the National League, and are 18-17 in interleague games this season .

• In the 1:10 p.m. series finale, Sean Manaea (0-1, 2.45 ERA) will pitch for the Mets against the Angels' Brock Burke (4-1, 3.38).

  
  

Turning Point

The Mets struggled against soft-tossing Angels' starter Kyle Hendricks, with just one hit through the first four innings, but put together a two-out rally against Hendricks in the fifth inning. The key blow in that frame was struck by Francisco Alvarez, two games removed from a Triple A demotion. Alvarez returned from the minors by rapping a key double in the series-opening victory on Monday, and he topped those heroics in Game 2. After Brett Baty kept his hot hitting and the inning going with a double to right-center, Alvarez teed off on a 2-2 Hendricks served and sent a bolt into the left-field seats to tie the game and turn the tide.

It was the fourth homer of the season for Alvarez and his first at Citi Field, following his power-packed retooling stint in Syracuse.

Three Keys

Frankie mows through Hollywood

If you were one of those who didn't expect much from Frankie Montas this season, he took another step toward proving you wrong. Montas had a solid outing in earning his third victory in his last three starts. The veteran righty scattered eight hits over 5.2 innings, striking out six. He did yield a solo homer in the second inning and another run on a pair of Angels doubles in the fifth, but managed to lower his ERA to 4.62. "I threw some good splitters, sinkers and sliders and had nice command of pitches working tonight," Montas said. "The first two innings, I was missing location, but step by step I definitely feel better every time I step on the mound." Montas retired eight Angels in succession in the middle of his outing.

Brandon's sweet 16

Brandon Nimmo reached base for the 16th straight game — and drove in the deciding run in the process. After Ronny Mauricio followed Alvarez's homer with a single to center and swiped second base, Nimmo capped the Mets' two-out rally with his own hit to center to put the Amazin's ahead to stay.

Smoked Trout

Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout failed in three key spots for the Halos. Before ending the night by leaving two runners stranded in the ninth, Trout floundered with runners in scoring position in both the fifth and seventh innings. In the fifth, Montas struck out Trout with runners at second and third and one out. Then, in the seventh, Mets reliever Rico Garcia got Trout swinging with one out and a runner at second.