TORONTO — Francisco Alvarez hit a walk-off home run to beat the Orioles nearly three weeks ago, but the Mets' hopes of the catcher's comeback never materialized.
It took another 25 days for Alvarez to hit another home run, but that drought ended on Wednesday when he smashed a home run over the center field fence at Rogers Centre in the ninth inning.
Alvarez and his teammates had been held hitless in eight innings against pitcher Bowden Francis, but the three-run homer gave the Mets a 6-2 win over the Blue Jays with a one-run margin of error.
“That was very meaningful. [to Alvarez]”He gave me a hug,” said Francisco Lindor, whose home run in the top of the ninth gave the Mets their first hit of the game and tied the game at 1-1. “I was happy that he gave me a hug. [and exhaled]He's tried, he's worked very hard, but sometimes it doesn't work out.”
Alvarez has posted an impressive .480 OPS since the All-Star break, but that performance probably wouldn't have been as remarkable if the majority of the Mets' lineup had been active.
But the Mets have not been able to find any consistent contributors outside of Lindor and Mark Vientos.
The third member of the lineup, who had been doing well in the second half of the season, Jeff McNeil, broke his right wrist after being hit by a pitch last Friday and will miss the remainder of the regular season.
How tough has it been for Alvarez?
The home run he hit Wednesday was his first extra-base hit since a walk-off hit against the Orioles on Aug. 19.
“Keeping my hips closed, not opening them up too much. I think that's the most important thing for me,” Alvarez said when asked about his focus in the batting cage.
“I feel like my hips are really strong. I think I'm a lot stronger now and a lot faster. So I have to control it. I haven't been able to control it very well for the last two months. Now I'm learning how to do it.”
The Mets took a 3-1 lead in the ninth inning after a home run by Lindor and sacrifice flies by Pete Alonso and Starling Marte.
Nearly any doubt about the outcome was erased when Alvarez hit a fastball off the first pitch from Genesis Cabrera for his seventh home run of the season.
“To me it's all about being a catcher. My job is to help the pitchers and give the team a better chance to win,” Alvarez said.
