Francisco Alvarez had another rough playoff night for the Mets, this time adding on a defensive miscue in addition to his brutal struggles at the plate.
With a runner on first in the second inning, the young catcher fielded a dribbler in front of home plate and fired to second in an effort to nab the lead runner, but the throw hit Max Muncy as he slid into the bag on a play where Muncy likely would have been safe anyway. Instead of getting the sure out, runners were on first and second, and Muncy eventually came around to score to begin an easy night for the Dodgers, as they went on to win 8-0 and take control of the NLCS in the form of a 2-1 series lead.
The night was anything but easy for Alvarez, who went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts, one coming in the second inning with the bases loaded and one out, with a chance for New York to get right back in the game. Instead, Alvarez was caught looking on a fastball shortly after lunging for a first-pitch curveball, sending his bat into the netting near the Dodgers dugout as he lost his grip.
Still, Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the lopsided loss that Alvarez will be back behind the plate for Wednesday’s crucial game four.
Alvarez was expected to be one of the Mets’ young stars in 2024, but his power took a steep decline from his rookie campaign, dropping from 25 to 11 home runs this year. His offense has only worsened in October, and many of his at-bats have looked feeble, as he has 13 strikeouts and just one walk in 35 at-bats so far this postseason.
Luis Torrens could be an alternative option, but Mendoza will not be making that move against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in game four.
“I think, offensively, he’s in between,” Mendoza said. “But he's a good hitter, he's a good player. We're facing an elite pitching staff, as well. He'll come through for us.”