The Return of a Star
Luis Robert Jr. made his return to Chicago a night to forget for the White Sox. He crushed two home runs in a 10-5 victory for the New York Mets on Saturday night. The home crowd booed him, but he did not care. He just wanted to hit the ball hard. Robert spent seven seasons with the White Sox before the trade. This win shows he is still a top-tier hitter.
“It feels good to hit homers against any team at home,” Robert said through an interpreter, according to reports. He added, “But I will say it felt good to hit the home runs here, just because it was a stadium I played so many games over my career.” The first blast was a two-run shot in the third inning. It gave the Mets a 4-1 lead. He followed up with a solo homer in the seventh. The team hit five homers total. This power display silences any doubts about his fit in New York.
Robert admitted the first game in Chicago felt strange. “[Friday] it felt a little weird here and a little strange,” he said. “Today, it was pretty normal.” The frustration from the previous night was gone. “The frustration was from [Friday], because it only matters the day we played,” he explained. “What happened before is in the past. It’s more about the day.” That mindset is exactly what a veteran leader needs.
The Catcher’s Struggle
While Robert shined, Francisco Alvarez struggled to find his rhythm. The Mets catcher went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Saturday. He had snapped his bat in half after a strikeout on Friday. That outburst showed how much pressure he feels right now. His frustration level has gone up as his OPS has gone down.
Alvarez began play 8-for-52 in August with an anemic .536 OPS. He struck out in 25 of those at-bats. Interim manager Andy Green tried to explain the issue. “He’s incredibly passionate — he wants to be great for the team,” Green said. “He wants to be great because he puts a lot of work in.” But the results are not there yet. Green noted that Alvarez is chasing pitches outside the strike zone too often.
“I think chase usually shows up after you have missed your pitch,” Green said. “He’s had some pitches to hit but he hasn’t necessarily squared up. When that happens he’s found himself outside of the strike zone.” This is a dangerous cycle for a young catcher. He needs to trust his swing and stop chasing bad pitches.
The Mets need Alvarez to bounce back fast. A hot hitter like Robert is great, but the team needs production from all positions. The 10-5 win over the White Sox was a good start, but one game does not fix a slump. The team must get back to basics in the batter’s box.
Mark Vientos is also part of the puzzle. He began a minor league rehab assignment as the DH on Friday for Double-A Binghamton. He will see action at first base and third base before returning to the Mets, according to reports. Vientos is rehabbing a right-hand fracture that has kept him sidelined since July 10. His return will help the lineup depth.
The White Sox game was a highlight for Robert, but the real test is consistency. The Mets cannot rely on big nights from one player. They need Alvarez to stop swinging at bad pitches and start hitting the ones in the zone. The season is long, but every game counts. If the catcher can fix his approach, this team will be dangerous.
