Mets’ Francisco Alvarez ends his home run drought with a walk-off

NEW YORK – Francisco Alvarez savored the moment.

Several seconds passed before the 22-year-old New York Mets catcher broke into a trot.

First, Alvarez stared coldly into the Mets’ dugout. He pointed emphatically at the ground. He yelled at everyone. He beat his chest. Then he circled the bases.

Alvarez’s emotions after hitting a walk-off solo home run to beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 at Citi Field on Monday night matched the tone of the situation.

The Mets (65-60) needed the win. They were leading 3-1 until the seventh inning. They couldn’t let that lead slip away. It was the start of a crucial 10-game series against three strong teams (the Orioles, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks). They hadn’t managed to consolidate their position against weaker teams recently. They are 1 1/2 games behind the struggling Atlanta Braves and are in the third wild card spot.

And Alvarez needed the home run. With high expectations, Alvarez hit a low point. When he went into his final at-bat on Monday, he had hit 2 of his last 25 home runs. He hadn’t hit a home run since July 26.

Mets 4, Orioles 3: Francisco Alvarez hit a walk-off home run. It was his first home run since July 26. The Mets began a crucial 10-game series with a win. David Peterson went seven innings and allowed three runs (two earned). New York is up 65-60.

– Will Sammon (@WillSammon) 20 August 2024

Four hours before the game and two hours before the team’s batting practice, Alvarez hit the field. Carlos Beltrán, special assistant to the front office, watched from the cage as assistant hitting coach Eric Chavez threw one ball after another into a pitching machine. Scenes like this have become commonplace lately.

“I came to work early every day,” Alvarez said, adding that he focused especially on sliders and limiting pursuit.

In a recent conversation, Chavez told Alvarez, “I just want you to become a good hitter.”

The point: Stop focusing so much on hitting home runs.

Alvarez showed he could have all-around dangerous power when he returned from the injured list in June following thumb surgery, but he has fallen into a deep slump since then.

After the All-Star break, Alvarez’s offensive output took a steep decline. He entered Monday’s game with a second-half OPS of just .447 (the fourth-worst in the major leagues among players with at least 70 at-bats during that span). Alvarez has now hit just two home runs since July.

The problem was due to Alvarez being too focused on hitting balls for home runs, Chavez said – and not due to any physical ailments.

In recent weeks, Chavez and Alvarez have been practicing on the field for hours before games. The coaching staff has seen some progress, but it hasn’t translated into Alvarez’s results until Monday night. In addition to the thumb injury, Alvarez has also been dealing with a persistent shoulder problem since late July. This season, Alvarez has a slash line of .253/.318/.410 with six home runs.

“When he came back, he hit the ball really well the other way,” Chavez said, referring to Alvarez’s return from thumb surgery. “And then he started throwing the ball inside. And then he got the idea of ​​hitting pull-side home runs. So he started spinning. So we just worked on his direction.”

“Everyone thinks it’s because of the physical things that happened – that’s not the case. He put it in his head or someone said something about pull-side home runs, so the body was just physically reacting to what the brain was telling it.”

It’s funny. Alvarez has been going to the plate so many times lately to try and pull a ball for a home run but fail, Chavez said. But when Alvarez got the go-ahead on Monday with one out in the ninth inning after a 3-0 pitch from Orioles relief pitcher Seranthony Domínguez, he said he thought about just putting the run on the ball.

Maybe that’s progress. Alvarez’s power is undeniable. As a rookie last year, he hit 25 home runs in 423 at-bats. But Chavez recently offered him a harsh truth about the rest of the numbers: the whiff rate, the lack of damage from breaking balls and more. He asked Alvarez, “Last year, you hit 25 home runs and did you think it was a good year? Because I didn’t. Looking at all your numbers, I thought they weren’t good at all.”

Then Chavez praised him: “In a few years, you’re going to be the best offensive catcher in the game. There’s no doubt about that. I’m going to put my name on it. There’s no doubt about that.”

But something has to happen first: Alvarez has to develop into an all-around hitter, not just an all-or-nothing threat. Chavez added: “I said, ‘When you came back from your injury this year, you were a good hitter. You’re going to learn to hit home runs. Become a good hitter first. Home runs are going to come, you’re going to make consistent contact, make mistakes.'”

Domínguez’s pitch begged to be hit hard and far: a fastball, slightly up and inside, but mostly over the middle of the plate. Off Alvarez’s bat, the ball flew 421 feet to left-center field at 106.5 mph.

“Alvy lives for these moments,” said outfielder Brandon Nimmo.

The Mets hope this is the start of a breakout for Alvarez. They could use it. When the Mets were at their best in June, they got help from almost everyone in the lineup, including Alvarez.

“It’s crucial, it’s important, it’s huge,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’ve talked about some of these guys who have had a tough time, they go through periods where it’s not easy. They’ve been better in the at-bats. But we haven’t seen that impact in the games. If we see it today, that’s going to be huge.”

“When you have a guy like that hitting down in the bottom of the lineup … we talk about how strong our lineup is, but we need those guys to get going. As a hitter, when you get your hands on one of those guys, it can get you back on the right track. Hopefully that’s the case here.”

(Photo by Francisco Alvarez: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)