NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Alvarez hit a tying homer in his second game back from the minors and Ryne Stanek retired Mike Trout with two runners aboard for the final out as the New York Mets rallied to beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Brandon Nimmo capped a three-run fifth inning with a go-ahead single, and Frankie Montas (3-1) won his third straight start. Juan Soto threw out a runner at home plate from right field in the first, denying Trout his 999th career RBI.
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New York Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek celebrates after a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Kyle Hendricks reacts as New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez, right, tags out Los Angeles Angels' Nolan Schanuel at home plate during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez hits a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
After overcoming a four-run deficit in Monday night's series opener, New York won its third in a row.
Nolan Schanuel had a career-high four hits for the Angels, including an RBI double. Jorge Soler launched a solo homer, and Logan O’Hoppe finished with three hits.
Angels starter Kyle Hendricks (5-7) allowed only a pop-fly single through 4 2/3 innings before unraveling as the Mets banged out four consecutive hits.
Brett Baty doubled before Alvarez connected for his fourth homer this season and first at Citi Field. Ronny Mauricio singled, stole second and scored on Nimmo's single to give New York a 3-2 lead.
Rico Garcia and Reed Garrett combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief before Stanek worked the ninth for his third save. With star closer Edwin Díaz receiving a rest, Stanek got Trout on a weak popup to first base to end it.
Montas settled in after a rocky start and walked off the mound to a warm ovation after 5 2/3 innings. He permitted two runs and eight hits, striking out six.
After a run-scoring double by Schanuel put the Angels ahead 2-0 in the fifth, they had runners at second and third with one out. Montas whiffed Trout, walked cleanup hitter Taylor Ward to load the bases and retired Jo Adell on a deep fly to center, ending the inning.
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and is hitless in his last 30 at-bats — the longest drought of his career. He went 0 for 27 late in the 2016 season with Cleveland. ... Soto set a career high with his 13th stolen base.
Mets LHP Sean Manaea (0-1, 2.45 ERA) pitches in a Wednesday matinee. Los Angeles had not announced a scheduled starter and might go with a bullpen game.
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New York Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek celebrates after a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Kyle Hendricks reacts as New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez, right, tags out Los Angeles Angels' Nolan Schanuel at home plate during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez gestures as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez hits a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado discussed her country's future with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, even though he has dismissed her credibility to take over after an audacious U.S. military raid captured then-President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump has raised doubts about his stated commitment to backing democratic rule in Venezuela and signaled his willingness to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s No. 2. Along with others in the deposed leader’s inner circle, Rodríguez remains in charge of day-to-day government operations and was set to deliver her first state of the union speech Thursday.
In endorsing Rodríguez so far, Trump has sidelined Machado, who has long been a face of resistance in Venezuela. She also had sought to cultivate relationships with Trump and key administration voices like Secretary of State Marco Rubio among the American right wing in a gamble to ally herself with the U.S. government.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been looking forward to the lunchtime meeting with Machado and called her “a remarkable and brave voice” for the people of Venezuela. But Leavitt also said Trump's opinion of Machado had not changed, calling it "a realistic assessment."
Trump has said it would be difficult for Machado to lead because she “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country.” Her party is widely believed to have won 2024 elections rejected by Maduro.
Leavitt went on to say that Trump supported new Venezuelan elections “when the time is right” but did not say when he thought that might be.
Leavitt said Machado sought the face-to-face meeting without setting expectations for what would occur. Machado previously offered to share with Trump the Nobel Peace Prize she won last year, an honor he has coveted.
“I don’t think he needs to hear anything from Ms. Machado," the press secretary said, other than to have a ”frank and positive discussion about what’s taking place in Venezuela.”
Machado spent about two and a half hours at the White House but left without answering questions on whether she'd offered to give her Nobel prize to Trump, saying only “gracias."
After her White House stop, Machado plans to have a meeting at the Senate. Her Washington visit began after U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says had ties to Venezuela.
It is part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil after U.S. forces seized Maduro and his wife at a heavily guarded compound in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and brought them to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.
Leavitt said Venezuela's interim authorities have been fully cooperating with the Trump administration and that Rodríguez's government said it planned to release more prisoners detained under Maduro. Among those released were five Americans this week.
Rodríguez has adopted a less strident position toward Trump then she did immediately after Maduro's ouster, suggesting that she can make the Republican administration's “America First” policies toward the Western Hemisphere, work for Venezuela — at least for now.
Trump said Wednesday that he had a “great conversation” with Rodríguez, their first since Maduro was ousted.
“We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things,” Trump said during an Oval Office bill signing. “And I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela.”
Even before indicating the willingness to work with Venezuela's interim government, Trump was quick to snub Machado. Just hours after Maduro's capture, Trump said of Machado that “it would be very tough for her to be the leader.”
Machado has steered a careful course to avoid offending Trump, notably after winning the peace prize. She has since thanked Trump, though her offer to share the honor with him was rejected by the Nobel Institute.
Machado’s whereabouts have been largely unknown since she went into hiding early last year after being briefly detained in Caracas. She briefly reappeared in Oslo, Norway, in December after her daughter received the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf.
The industrial engineer and daughter of a steel magnate began challenging the ruling party in 2004, when the nongovernmental organization she co-founded, Súmate, promoted a referendum to recall then-President Hugo Chávez. The initiative failed, and Machado and other Súmate executives were charged with conspiracy.
A year later, she drew the anger of Chávez and his allies again for traveling to Washington to meet President George W. Bush. A photo showing her shaking hands with Bush in the Oval Office lives in the collective memory. Chávez considered Bush an adversary.
Almost two decades later, she marshaled millions of Venezuelans to reject Chávez’s successor, Maduro, for another term in the 2024 election. But ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared him the winner despite ample credible evidence to the contrary. Ensuing anti-government protests ended in a brutal crackdown by state security forces.
Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela, and Janetsky from Mexico City. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gestures to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado waves to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado smiles on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado waves to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
FILE - U.S. President George Bush, right, meets with Maria Corina Machado, executive director of Sumate, a non-governmental organization that defends Venezuelan citizens' political rights, in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, May 31, 2005. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
FILE - Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures to supporters during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro the day before his inauguration for a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, file)
