Alvarado struggles as Phillies leave London with a split

Taijuan Walker pitched well for the Phillies on Sunday. | PHOTO: Ken Singleton

On a Sunday afternoon in London, the New York Mets clinched a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, splitting their two-game series. The game concluded with catcher Luis Torrens turning Nick Castellanos’ bases-loaded roller into a double play, sealing the Mets' win. 

 

New York rallied from a 4-3 ninth-inning deficit against José Alvarado (1-3), who faltered, blowing a save for the second time in 13 chances. Mark Vientos sparked the rally with an RBI single that third baseman Alec Bohm mishandled. Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch, forcing in a run, and a passed ball by catcher J.T. Realmuto allowed another run, putting the Mets ahead 6-4. 

 

Reed Garrett (6-2) managed to get an out but allowed two batters to reach in the bottom half. Bryce Harper then loaded the bases with a single off Drew Smith, and Bohm drew a walk, forcing in a run. 

 

Castellanos' weak contact resulted in a force out at home, and Torrens threw to first for the final out, with Alonso stretching to make the play. Drew Smith earned his second save. 

 

Alvarado’s performance was unusual, given that he had walked multiple batters only once in his previous 28 appearances, during which he maintained a 1.40 ERA. On Sunday, he struggled to find his usual command. 

 

The Phillies' bullpen also had mixed results. Gregory Soto, who relieved Taijuan Walker with two on and two outs in the sixth inning, allowed both inherited runners to score and was charged with another run, allowing the Mets to tie the game. 

 

Soto has struggled with consistency, evidenced by his 4.81 ERA over two seasons with Philadelphia. 

 

Matt Strahm followed Soto with a scoreless inning, and Jeff Hoffman secured four outs to set the stage for Alvarado. 

 

David Dahl added some offense, hitting his second home run in six days. The former All-Star and first-round pick, signed to a minor-league deal in spring training, has quickly contributed to the team's efforts.

 

Walker surrendered two runs on two hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six. 

 

The Phillies have an off day on Monday before opening a three-game set in Boston at Fenway Park. 

 

“It was a great experience, being able to come over to Europe and play two baseball games,” Castellanos told reporters. “Ideally, you want to win them both. We came away with a split. Now it’s go back and get ready for the Red Sox."