Behind Álvarez, Mets Hold On For 11-10 Win Over White Sox

The New York Mets survived a comeback attempt from the Chicago White Sox to secure an 11-10 on Tuesday night. The Mets set the tone early with five runs in the bottom of the first but almost blew a seven-run lead after the sixth inning. Francisco Álvarez led the charge for New York’s offense, clubbing two home runs and driving in four runs against the White Sox.

Tommy Pham got the Mets on the board in the bottom first, ripping an RBI double down the left-field line to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. After Pete Alonso brought in another run with a sacrifice fly and Jeff McNeil struck out, Álvarez came up to the plate to begin his big night. The rookie catcher hit a majestic two-run home run to extend the Mets’ lead to 4-0. Brett Baty followed his fellow rookie with a solo home run to center, capping off a five-run first inning for the Mets. It was the first time this season the Mets had scored four or more runs in the first inning this season, and the team had only scored 26 runs in the first coming into Tuesday night.

Lucas Giolito never settled against the Mets after allowing five runs in the first. The former National allowed an RBI double to Francisco Lindor in the bottom of the second, and two more runs in the bottom of the fourth–a solo home run to DJ Stewart and an RBI single to McNeil. Giolito couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning and was pulled after allowing seven earned runs and five walks in 3 2/3 innings pitched.

Meanwhile, Carlos Carrasco was solid for the Mets in the first four innings, recording four strikeouts and walking only one. However, he allowed a solo home run to Yasmani Grandal in the second inning, and an RBI double to Tim Anderson in the third inning. Still, the veteran was holding his own against Chicago, and had a sixth run leading heading into the top of the fifth.

However, Carrasco faltered quickly, and couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning. The right-hander allowed back-to-back singles to Andrew Benintendi and Anderson to start the inning and allowed both to score behind an RBI ground out from Andrew Vaughn and an RBI double from Jake Burger. Grant Hartwig came into relief and finished the inning for Carrasco, who struck out five batters, but allowed four earned runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings pitched.

Hartwig pitched a scoreless sixth inning, handing the torch back to a blazing-hot offense. Pham led off the inning with a walk and eventually scored behind McNeil’s second RBI single of the night. Then, Álvarez continued his imposing night by clubbing his second two-run home run to increase the Mets’ lead to 11-4. The Mets rookie catcher has been extraordinary this season and has three multiple home run games in 2023.

ÁLVAREZ AGAIN!
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— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) July 19, 2023

“I felt good,” Álvarez said about his and the team’s offensive effort on Tuesday night. “We had our game plan and we made our adjustments at the plate.”

While they led by seven runs after six innings, the Mets eventually needed every run. The White Sox scored five runs in the top of the seventh, led by Burger and Grandal, who drove in two runs each. Then, after the Mets failed to score in the seventh and eighth innings, the White Sox inched within a run of New York.

Facing David Robertson, Grandal walked to lead off the inning and reached second base after Elvis Andrus worked a two-out walk. Benintendi followed with his second RBI single of the night, cutting the Mets’ lead to 11-10. With the tying and go-ahead run on base, Robertson slammed the door on Chicago’s comeback and induced a fly-out from Anderson.

While it wasn’t pretty, the Mets defeated the White Sox in the opener of a three-game set. The offense was dominant, and the pitching was good enough for a win, but newly acquired Met Gott has struggled in New York. The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits, failing to record an out on Tuesday.

Player of the Game

Francisco Álvarez was the player of the game on Tuesday night against the White Sox. The Venezuelan native clubbed two home runs against Chicago, bringing his home run total to 19 while raising his OPS to .834. Through 69 games in 2023, Álvarez now has three multiple-home run games.

On Deck

The Mets will go for their third straight win tomorrow with Justin Verlander on the mound. The former Tiger struggled with his command in his last start, walking six Dodgers in the Mets’ 6-0 loss to the Dodgers. Touki Toussaint will get his fifth start of the season, and third with the White Sox on Wednesday. The right-hander has been okay for the struggling White Sox and has a 3.38 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 24 innings pitched in 2023.

First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. The game will be televised on SNY and can be listened to on WCBS 880.

The post Behind Álvarez, Mets Hold On For 11-10 Win Over White Sox first appeared on Metsmerized Online.