Alvarez Homers Twice as Mets Beat Giants 10-6

Francisco Alvarez hit two of New York's five home runs Friday night and the Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 10-6 at Citi Field, per ESPN and the Associated Press. Mark Vientos, Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor also went deep as New York matched its season high for homers and scored 10 runs for a second straight game.

The catcher had been quiet. One night flipped that script in a hurry.

Drought over, twice

Alvarez's opposite-field drive in the second was his first homer since Aug. 9 after a .125 stretch (7-for-56) with two doubles in between. The two-homer night was his third this season and the eighth of his career. He also went deep twice behind Nolan McLean in a 10-3 win in San Francisco on April 3.

Vientos' three-run shot in the first was his second homer in four games since returning from a nearly two-month injured-list stay with a broken right hand. Bichette capped a four-run second and is batting .309 with 10 homers and 40 RBI in his last 78 games. Lindor had his first multi-hit game since Aug. 25.

McLean battles, Devers answers

McLean (11-8) allowed two runs and six hits with seven strikeouts and four walks over six innings on a career-high 105 pitches. He is 9-4 with a 2.24 ERA in his past 17 starts. Rafael Devers doubled twice, homered, and drove in five for San Francisco. His 33 homers are the most by a Giant since Barry Bonds hit 45 in 2004.

Turner Hill added an RBI single for the Giants, and rookie Matt Wilkinson (0-3) lasted three innings after allowing seven runs (four earned). The Mets needed that early cushion. Devers' three-run homer off Austin Warren kept San Francisco within shouting distance even after New York had already stacked the long ball.

The Mets also connected five times on May 14 against Detroit and Aug. 22 at the White Sox, so Friday was a season-high rematch, not a one-off fireworks night. Attendance was 29,377 for a series opener between two clubs still sorting September identity. Devers kept San Francisco close on the scoreboard even as New York kept clearing fences.

Saturday lists Giants RHP Anthony Molina (2-0, 3.77) against Mets LHP Zac Thornton (3-4, 2.93). For more September baseball already on Smacktok, see Campusano's Padres walk-off and Acuña's 200-200 stamp. Friday was a Citi Field power show with Alvarez ending the quiet stretch the loud way.