Francisco Alvarez provided a key hit in his return to the major leagues, and the New York Mets rallied from an early four-run deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 7-5 on Monday night at Citi Field. The Mets tied their most significant comeback win of the season, powered by timely hitting and late-inning defensive miscues by the Angels.
The game opened with the Angels jumping to a quick lead against Mets starter Kodai Senga. Taylor Ward drove in three runs, and Logan O’Hoppe hit a solo home run as Los Angeles built a 4-0 advantage by the fourth inning. Senga, making his first start after a dominant stretch dating back to June 2023 in which he had allowed three earned runs or fewer in 31 consecutive starts, struggled early and exited after just three innings. He was charged with four earned runs on five hits and failed to record a strikeout.
New York began its comeback at the bottom of the fourth when Brett Baty hit a two-run home run off of Angels starter Tyler Anderson, trimming the deficit to 4-2. Anderson, who has not recorded a win since April 18, allowed five hits and two earned runs across five innings, extending his winless streak to 16 starts.
Trailing 5-2 in the seventh, the Mets loaded the bases with no outs against the Angels’ bullpen. Francisco Lindor drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Juan Soto followed with a two-run single to right field off reliever Reid Detmers, tying the game at five.
In the eighth, Baty drew a one-out walk from José Fermin and moved to third when Alvarez, just recalled from the minors earlier in the day, hit a deep double off the right-field wall. With runners on the corners, Ronny Mauricio grounded a ball to third baseman Yoán Moncada, who fielded the play but made an errant throw to the plate. The ball bounced off O’Hoppe’s glove, allowing Baty to score the go-ahead run. Brandon Nimmo added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to give New York a 7-5 cushion.
Brooks Raley earned the win in relief, pitching a scoreless eighth inning in just his second appearance since returning from Tommy John surgery. Edwin Díaz secured the save, striking out the heart of the Angels lineup in order in the ninth for his 20th save of the season in 22 chances.
The Mets entered the game as slight favorites with betting odds around -120 on the moneyline, while the Angels were listed near +100. The over/under was set at 8.5 runs, a mark the two teams surpassed in the late innings.
The two clubs will meet again on Tuesday night. The Angels are scheduled to send right-hander Kyle Hendricks (5-6, 4.88 ERA) to the mound, while the Mets will counter with Frankie Montas (2-1, 5.03 ERA).
