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New York Mets relief pitcher David Robertson, left, talks to catcher Francisco Alvarez after a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in New York. The Mets won 11-10. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
QUEENS — Francisco Alvarez continued to stake his claim as Major League Baseball’s premier power-hitting catcher with a pair of home runs while the Mets’ bullpen narrowly escaped disaster in an 11-9 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night at Citi Field.
New York’s second straight win came with its seemingly-usual anxious moments from an unreliable bullpen as Grant Hartwig, Trevor Gott, and Brooks Raley nearly blew an 11-4 lead in the seventh inning by allowing five runs to bring Chicago within two.
In the ninth inning, David Robertson walked a pair before Andrew Benintendi’s RBI single cut the Mets’ lead to just one and put the tying run at third base. But the Mets’ interim closer managed to get Tim Anderson to fly out to secure the victory.
“You could tell pitching was going to be a challenge,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “There were going to be a lot of runs scored so when you’re adding on runs, you’re never feeling satisfied.”
Alvarez went 2-for-3 on the night with two walks and four RBI, providing an initial jolt in a rare, monstrous first inning that saw the Mets (44-50) hang five runs on Chicago. Having scored just 26 runs in the first inning throughout their previous 93 games of the season, New York broke loose to jump White Sox starter and potential trade deadline chip Lucas Giolito — a rare showing of early offensive affluence that now accounts for 16.1% of the team’s first-inning runs this season.
“I’m always ready to swing at my pitch,” Alvarez said. “So whether it’s the first or second pitch, if they throw methat pitch that I’m looking for, I’m going…
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