“You have to give this kid a lot of credit, because the moment he got down there, he just kept working,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He could have pouted and felt sorry for himself and that wasn’t the case. And then here he is now, looking like the Alvy that we know he’s capable of.”

Entering Tuesday’s play, the Mets ranked 16th in the Majors in runs per game at 4.38, which is hardly where they thought they’d be when manager Carlos Mendoza began toying with potential lineup orders over the winter.

Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio have spent the last two games providing evidence the New York Mets might not need to look outside the organization for difference-making offensive players prior to the July 31 trade deadline.

After an extended stretch of poor performance, the Mets decided it was time to challenge Alvarez, unexpectedly demoting him to the minor leagues. It doesn’t take much to motivate Alvarez. Like the Energizer bunny, the 23-year-old is constantly on the move, pouring all of his energy into whatever task he’s doing.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza shared insight on a few topics before Saturday's game against the Reds at Citi Field.

Francisco Alvarez hit a tying homer in his second game back from the minors and as the Mets rallied to beat the Angels.

Preview the July 23 matchup between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels with odds over/under, game spread, betting lines and more.