Baty, Soto, Alvy and Bullpen Guide Mets to Heavenly Win Over Angels

Mets 7 Angels 5 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 57-44

Mets streak: Won 2

Last 10: 5-5

WP -Brooks Raley (1-0)

LP - Jose Fermin (2-1)

SV -Edwin Diaz (20)

Seat on the Korner: Francisco Alvarez

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.

Fittingly, the Seat on the Korner tonight belongs to Francisco Alvarez, who was recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day and wasted no time making his presence felt. Over his last 19 games with Syracuse, Alvarez mashed 11 homers and carried a staggering 1.233 OPS, including a .476 average with 7 homers and 15 RBI in his last six games. The power has never been in question — but if the Mets are going to make a run, they need the rookie version of Francisco Alvarez: the one who paired that raw strength with patience and presence. Tonight might’ve been the first step. Alvarez walked twice — a sign of growing discipline — and scorched a ball in the seventh that Chris Taylor misplayed into a key double. He also showed off his arm, throwing out a runner trying to steal. The producers of Kiner’s Korner were nearly swayed by Brett Baty’s two-run homer and throwing a runner out at the plate, but in the end, the Getty gift cards and the virtual seat next to Ralph go to Alvy — who might just be heating up at the right time.

Need to Know

• Kodai Senga made his 15th start of the season tonight. He last pitched on July 11 in Kansas City, throwing four scoreless innings (4 H, 2 BB, 4 K). Senga lasted 3 innings and his era jumped from 1.39 ERA to 1.79. His scoreless innings streak came to an end after 14.1 innings which dated back to June 6.

• Senga had one previous start against the Angels, working 6.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts in the 3-1 loss on August 25, 2023.

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  Kodai Senga is usually a steady presence on the mound — even when mistakes happen. It looked like more of the same early on when he gave up a second-inning home run to Long Island native Logan O’Hoppe. That homer was the 23rd Senga has allowed in his career, and in typical fashion, 19 of those have been solo shots, with only four turning into two-run homers

  
  

• Senga's streak of not having allowed 3 earned runs or fewer came to an end at 31 straight starts dating back to June 23, 2023 it was the longest active streak in MLB and third-longest in franchise history. It came undone for him in the third as Luis Rengifo started things off with a soft single to third, followed by a groundout that moved him to second. After a strikeout, Mike Trout drew a walk, setting the stage for Taylor Ward’s sharp double to left field that scored two runs — one of those aided by a throwing error from shortstop Francisco Lindor. Jo Adell then delivered an RBI single to right, and after a walk to Yoán Moncada, the Angels had turned a slim 1-0 lead into a to a 4-0 advantage. Senga threw 73 pitches in just three innings, the Mets rallied to win the game and get Senga a no decision on the night.

• Tyler Anderson made his 20th start of the season and 11th on the road.

• It is the 7th time in his career Anderson faced the Mets and he also took a no decision on the night and is now 2-3, 3.37 ERA (40.1 IP, 15 ER).

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  The Mets are 35-16 at home, the best home record in the National League and second-best in MLB.

• Brandon Nimmo has reached base in 15 straight games.

• The Mets are 17-17 in interleague games this season and 40-26 against National League opponents.

• The Phillies won thier game in walk off fashion on a catchers interference call so the Mets remain a half game out of first place.

  
  

Turning Point

The turning point came in the bottom of the seventh, with the Mets trailing 5–2 and the bases loaded. Francisco Lindor, mired in an 0-for-24 slump, grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought home a run and kept the inning alive. Then he made a veteran move, swiping second base — his 16th steal of the year — to get himself into scoring position. That’s when Juan Soto stepped to the plate and, with the count tight and the game hanging in the balance, choked up on the bat like it was October. Soto laced a ground ball into right field, bringing home both Acuña and Lindor to tie the game, 5–5. It was a moment that flipped the energy at Citi Field, electrified the dugout, and gave the Mets a shot in a game that had nearly slipped away. In a season that’s needed signature swings, Soto delivered one.

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Three Keys

0 for 25 With A Huge FC

Francisco Lindor came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh riding a brutal 0-for-24 skid, and yet, somehow, Citi Field still had his back. With the Mets trailing 5–2 and the bases loaded, the crowd rose to their feet and belted out “My Girl” — Lindor’s walk-up song — as if sheer volume could will a base hit into existence. It didn’t. But Lindor still delivered. He grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought home a run and moved Luisangel Acuña to third, keeping the inning alive. Then, showing the instincts that continue to make him valuable even during a slump, Lindor stole second — his 16th of the year — and moments later scored the game-tying run on Juan Soto’s clutch single to right. No, it didn’t show up in the hit column, but Lindor made his presence felt when it mattered, proving you don’t always need a knock to make an impact.

Hergets I've Had A Few, But Then Again Too Few To Mention

Kevin Herget’s path back to the Mets has had more twists than a knuckleball. Originally claimed off waivers by New York in November 2024, Herget started the season in Triple-A Syracuse and made a brief appearance in April, tossing two innings in an 8–3 win before being sent back down and ultimately designated for assignment. Atlanta scooped him up in May, but after just one scoreless outing, he found himself on waivers again. After electing free agency, Herget re-signed with the Mets on July 19 — and tonight, he reminded everyone why teams keep taking chances on him. Entering a 4–2 game, Herget delivered 2 1/3 strong innings, allowing just two hits and no runs, keeping the Mets within striking distance until Chris Devenski surrendered a run in the seventh. It may not have been a win, but Herget did his job — steady, unflashy, and exactly what the Mets needed.

The Bullpen Was Raley Good

As much as the bats came alive, this comeback doesn’t happen without the Mets bullpen slamming the door. After Kodai Senga struggled through three taxing innings — giving up four runs and throwing 73 pitches — the bullpen delivered six gutsy, high-leverage frames to keep the game within reach. Kevin Herget was the unsung hero, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings to stabilize things after Senga’s early exit. Chris Devenski gave up a run in the 7th, but Huascar Brazobán and Brooks Raley kept the Angels off the board in the 8th — with Raley earning the win in just his second game back after spending 15 months on the IL. And then came Edwin Díaz, looking every bit like the elite closer the Mets hope to ride through October, striking out the side in the 9th for his 20th save. The offense got the headlines — from Brett Baty’s two-run shot in the 4th to Francisco Alvarez’s go-ahead double in the 8th — but the bullpen was the glue, the spine, and the silent force that gave the comeback a chance to happen.