3 Up, 3 Down: Resurgent Bats Powers Mets’ Sweep Of Angels

Redemption was the backdrop for the New York Mets’ series sweep over the Angels.

New York took all three games against Anaheim at Citi Field thanks to some resurgent bats. Key players breaking out of slumps was the common trend throughout this series.

Some clutch pitching also helped as the Mets moved back to the top of the NL East thanks to a four-game winning streak. A six-game road trip on the West Coast now beckons.

Before we get to that, though, let’s proceed with another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

HAPPY RETURNS

Francisco Alvarez was demoted to the minors in order to work on his game and hit the reset button. That strategy seems to have paid off. The slugger returned to the big leagues for the Anaheim series, and he sure made up for lost time. Alvarez showed some serious power upon his return. He also helped to spark the bottom of the lineup into life. It all started on Monday when Alvarez’s double late helped to mount the comeback. Then, on Tuesday, the slugger mashed a two-run home run in the fifth to make it a tied game. The blast changed the entire complexion of the game. The version of Alvarez we saw in this series is the version we’ve all been waiting to see.

REDEMPTION TIME

To say that both Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso were going through it would have been a mass understatement. Lindor’s flyout in the first inning of Wednesday’s game made it an 0-for-31 skid. As for Alonso, he entered the day mired in a 2-for-33 rut and hitless in 13 at-bats. He had also gone 10 straight games without hitting a home run. Well, all that changed in the finale. Lindor snapped out of his slump with an RBI single in the third inning, before Alonso ended his cold spell with a mammoth three-run home run five pitches later. That monster 439-foot blast blew the game wide open. Lindor would go on to add another RBI single in the fourth, while Alonso would also single later in the game. The struggling duo combined for four hits and five RBIs on Wednesday. The two big-hitters will now need to stay hot from here on out.

STEPPING UP

Let’s give the bullpen the flowers they deserve for their efforts in this series sweep. With two of the three starters not going any deeper than the fifth inning, the bullpen really stepped up. Asked to carry the bulk of the workload on Monday, the bullpen allowed just one run over six innings in relief. In the middle game of the series, Rico Garcia, Reed Garrett, and Ryne Stanek combined for 3.1 innings of scoreless relief. And, on Wednesday, the bullpen allowed just two runs over the final four innings. Edwin Díaz was asked to get the final four outs of the game, and he did just that to record his 21st save of the year. With José Buttó now back, the bullpen is starting to get a little deeper. It certainly did its job against the Angels.

3 DOWN

BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE

Kodai Senga was not good in his latest start on Monday. In what was a rare off-day, the righty was shelled for four earned runs on four hits and three walks, including giving up a home run in the second inning. As a result, Senga lasted just three innings. His lack of stuff on the mound put his team in all kinds of trouble. Thankfully, the bottom of the lineup and the bullpen were able to bail Senga out.

SLEEPING STAR

Juan Soto has gone cold again. The superstar hitter wasn’t much of a factor against the Angels. Yes, he had a pair of RBIs in the opener and then drew three walks in the second game of the series. He also had a stolen base on Tuesday. But, after going 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the finale, Soto finished the series with just one hit. As a result, he’s now hitting just .083/.241/.208 over his last seven games, and .212/.349/.462 over his last 15 games. The Mets can hardly afford Soto to not hit this deep into July.

OVERARCHING CONCERNS

Yes, both Alonso and Lindor broke out in the series finale. And, yes, Alvarez also had a successful return to the majors. However, there is no getting away from the fact that this lineup is still middle of the pack. You also can’t deny the fact that the offense hasn’t really ever clicked as a fully functioning machine so far in 2025. When the top of the lineup is hot, the bottom of the lineup is ice cold. And when the bottom of the lineup breaks out, the big hitters are nowhere to be found. Furthermore, Soto, Alonso, and Lindor were a combined 4-for-85 entering Wednesday. One bat at the Trade Deadline won’t be an instant cure-all, either. At some point, this offense is going to have to live up to its potential and become a consistent, formidable run producer.