On a night when it felt like it couldn’t get much worse for the Mets, it got worse.
Francisco Alvarez appeared to be in pain and exited with back spasms in the top of the seventh inning of an eventual and ugly 8-4 loss to the Brewers at American Family Field on Friday.
The Mets catcher reached first base on a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and dashed for third as Tyrone Taylor grounded out.
Alvarez slid into the base feet first then grabbed at his lower back. He yelled, signaled to the dugout and lay still while grimacing.
Alvarez was down on his chest for about a minute and rose, with help, before needing assistance both to get off the field and get down the dugout steps.
It was a rough development in a rough game in which the Mets — Alvarez included — did little right as they hunt for a wild-card spot.
Luis Torrens pinch-ran (and was stranded) before remaining in the game at catcher.
If Alvarez has to miss time — a troubling notion with a maximum of four games left in the regular season — the light-hitting Torrens would be thrust into an everyday role.
Alvarez’s bat has come alive in the past two weeks, having launched five of his 11 home runs this season in the past 12 games, a stretch in which he has raised his OPS from .664 to .706.
He reached base in two of his three plate appearances Friday and probably should have reached a third time.
Alvarez fought through a lengthy battle with Frankie Montas in the fourth inning with two outs and two men on base.
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After fouling off four straight full-count offerings, Alvarez stared at a breaking ball that appeared to be below the zone.
Home plate umpire Ramon De Jesus ruled strike three, ending the frame, ending what would have been a bases-loaded opportunity for Tyrone Taylor and ending the night for Carlos Mendoza, who was ejected for a second time this year.
Mendoza appeared angry not just at strike three but at strike one, which also appeared to be off the plate.
If Mendoza were frustrated by more than the calls, it would be understandable.
The Mets were outplayed thoroughly by the NL Central-champion Brewers, who entered the game second in the majors in stolen bases and were as aggressive as advertised.
The Brewers stole six bases — five off Alvarez and one off Torrens — including three by Brice Turang. Frequently singles essentially became triples, and not always because of clean steals.
Sean Manaea and Danny Young added wild pitches that advanced base runners, and Alvarez was charged with a passed ball.
Alvarez struggled to hold runners and keep pitches in front of him, the passed ball the major league-leading 10th of his season.
Alvarez’s bat has been stronger, but Torrens is better regarded for his work in cutting down base runners.
