3 best Mets player decisions that paid off in their Game 5 thumping of the Dodgers

3) Sticking with Francisco Alvarez behind the plate has helped him regain his confidence

Francisco Alvarez was not a big part of the offense despite having three hits including a double. He scored once, drove in another, but looked far more confident at the plate for the second straight day. Shared jawing with Andy Pages showed us he wasn’t about to let the Dodgers push him or his team around.

Alvarez’s miserable postseason performance at the plate and behind it had many questioning if the Mets needed to replace him with Luis Torrens. Never a thought in Mendoza’s head, this storyline seems to have gone away already.

Maybe not yet completely gone is what the Mets should do at second base. Jeff McNeil finally started and a pair of sacrifice flies helped contribute to the scoring. Winker, McNeil, and Peterson in with Alvarez sticking around as well all worked out pretty well for the Mets in this one. All four contributed. It was a good mix of faith in players who have performed and the sanity to do something different.

The Dodgers had the Mets right where they wanted them. Or is it the other way around? The resiliency of the 2024 Mets continued. Just as soon as the funeral arrangements are made, a big toe in the morgue wiggles.