Cristian Javier to follow opener against Mets

Alvarez doubled to lead-off the third inning and came around to score the first run of the game. Then in the sixth inning, his two-run double put the Mets ahead 4-3. Alvarez has five RBI over his last three games. He’s hitting .234 with a .718 OPS and 42 RBI this season.

Benge hit a ground-rule double and scored on an error in the fourth inning. He later hit an RBI double to put the Mets up 6-3. Benge has three doubles, three home runs and eight RBI in 19 games in September. He’s hitting .277 with a .764 OPS and 62 RBI with five games left in the regular season.

Cortes entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning following the departure of left-handed starter Yusei Kikuchi. With a runner on, he cut into the Angels’ lead with a triple before scoring on a base hit. Cortes then put the A’s ahead with a two-run homer off Sam Bachman in the eighth inning. The 29-year-old outfielder has hit .257/.323/.408 with ten homers and 43 RBI across 368 plate appearances.

Guzman put the Angels on the board with an RBI groundout in the first inning. He then extended the Los Angeles lead with a three-run blast off Brady Basso in the third. The 22-year-old third baseman has flashed some power potential, hitting eight homers while slashing .226/.272/.350 across 286 plate appearances.

Harris took the mound in the top of the ninth to close out the game against the Angels with a three-run lead. He issued a leadoff walk and allowed a run in on three hits before striking out the final batter to end the game with his 16th save of the season.

Senga struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning. He picked up his eighth save despite Devin Williams being activated earlier in the day. It appears Senga is still the favorite for saves with the Mets. New York has five more games remaining this week.

Basso gave up a run on two hits and a groundout in the first inning. After a scoreless second, the Angels got to him again in the third with three straight hits to drive in a run before Denzer Guzman took him deep for a three-run blast. Basso walked the following batter and was relieved without recording an out in the inning. The 28-year-old left-hander will take a 5.36 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, and a 30/9 K/BB ratio across 42 innings into Sunday’s season finale against the Astros in Sacramento.

Kikuchi had stranded five baserunners through five scoreless innings before the A’s finally got to him with two runs on two hits and a walk in the sixth. Kikuchi would leave with one out in the sixth at 88 pitches. He struck out two. The 35-year-old left-hander is in line to take a 4.88 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and a 60/29 K/BB ratio across 62 2/3 innings into Sunday’s season finale against the Mariners in Seattle.

Edman brought the first run across for the Dodgers on a bases-loaded walk in the second inning before scoring on a single by Freddie Freeman. He later extended the Los Angeles lead with a solo homer off Wandy Peralta in the sixth inning. The 31-year-old has his eight homers with 43 runs scored, 40 RBI, and six steals while slashing .245/.330/.386 across 315 plate appearances.

Smith’s only hit of the game left the yard as he took Griffin Canning deep for a solo homer in the seventh inning to extend the Dodgers’ lead. The 31-year-old backstop is up to 10 homers and 34 RBI while hitting .248/.341/.420 across 264 plate appearances. Four of his homers have come since his return from the injured list on September 1 following a three-month absence with a neck injury.