Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio have spent the last two games providing evidence the New York Mets might not need to look outside the organization for difference-making offensive players prior to the July 31 trade deadline.
For the Los Angeles Angels, back-to-back losses might be nudging them toward seller status.
The Mets will look to complete a sweep on Wednesday afternoon when they host the Angels in the finale of a three-game interleague series.
Sean Manaea (0-1, 2.45 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against fellow left-hander Brock Burke (4-1, 3.38), who will serve as an opener in a bullpen game for the Angels.
Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning and Mauricio scored the go-ahead run two batters later in New York’s 3-2 victory on Tuesday.
The Mets have trailed in each of their three consecutive wins and have been sparked by Baty, Alvarez and Mauricio in both victories over the Angels. All three players are 25 years of age or younger.
In Monday’s 7-5 win, Baty hit the two-run homer to begin a comeback from a four-run deficit. He also drew a leadoff walk in the eighth, went to third on Alvarez’s double and scored when the Angels misplayed Mauricio’s grounder to third.
The Mets trailed 2-0 with two outs in the fifth inning on Tuesday before Baty doubled and trotted home on Alvarez’s homer to left. Mauricio followed with a single, stole second and scored on Brandon Nimmo’s single.
The contributions from the youngsters especially are valuable for the Mets, who have scored just 126 runs since June 13 — tied for the third-fewest in baseball in that span — while going 13-20.
“All of those guys, they’re a big part of this team,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who also mentioned fellow young fielders Luisangel Acuna and Mark Vientos. “And we’re going to need all of them.”
Interim Angels manager Ray Montgomery acknowledged last weekend that the team could force management to make additions at the deadline.
“If we win more games, obviously there’s a propensity to do more,” Montgomery said during a series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
But the losses to the Mets dropped the Angels to 49-52, though they remain four games behind the Boston Red Sox in the race for the final American League wild-card spot.
However, the Angels have a run differential of negative-62, the seventh-worst in the majors ahead of only the last-place teams in every division.
Los Angeles squandered numerous opportunities Tuesday. Nolan Schanuel had four hits but was thrown out at home trying to score on Mike Trout’s one-out single in the first inning.
The Angels stranded 10 runners — including two in the ninth when Trout hit a game-ending pop-out to first baseman Pete Alonso.
“He’s obviously the guy you want in that situation there,” Montgomery said. “He didn’t get it done. He was upset about that, but I’ll take my chances with him in that situation.”
Manaea didn’t factor into the decision in his most recent start last Friday after he allowed one run on one hit over four innings as the Mets fell to the Cincinnati Reds, 8-4. Manaea is 3-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 14 career games (13 starts) against the Angels.
Burke, who will be making his first start of the season, got the final two outs of Monday’s game. He is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three relief appearances against the Mets.
–Field Level Media
