There appeared to be some back-and-forth between Francisco Alvarez and Andy Pages, who crossed home plate after his first home run and exchanged words with the Mets catcher.
In the immediate aftermath, it was unclear what was said.
More clear was that amid a quiet postseason, it was not just Alvarez’s mouth that spoke up Friday.
The previously slumping Alvarez carried a loud bat in waking up just in time, coming through with three hits that included a big double and clutch RBI single in the Mets’ survival of a 12-6, Game 5 win over the Dodgers at Citi Field, which sent the NLCS back to Los Angeles.
Alvarez has been among the most scrutinized Mets in what had been a postseason to forget.
The 22-year-old was consistently failing in large and small moments alike, going 5-for-35 with one walk and 13 strikeouts in his first 10 postseason games.
The catcher has appeared to bring his roller-coaster regular season into October, and he’s now riding the highs: After five hits in 10 games, he has recorded four hits in his past two games.
A former stud prospect who rose through the system as a bat-first catcher is now showing off that bat at the highest level.
Alvarez sprayed the ball around on a 3-for-4 night that rewarded the faith that manager Carlos Mendoza has shown in him.
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Mendoza repeatedly has said Alvarez is his catcher and repeatedly has declined to give a look toward backup Luis Torrens, who has not started a postseason game.
That move looked smart when Alvarez smacked a double over right fielder Mookie Betts’ head in the second inning.
Alvarez was stranded at third in the frame, his teammates doing what he has done too often this postseason — struggling in the clutch.
He atoned in the next inning.
With two outs and Starling Marte on third against Jack Flaherty, Alvarez hung with a second-pitch slider and slapped an RBI single through the left side.
The clutch baton was passed, Francisco Lindor then cracking an RBI triple before Brandon Nimmo singled in another run.
Offense, Alvarez will tell you, is not his primary job.
He whiffed on a foul pop from Max Muncy in the fifth inning, which mattered when Muncy walked and Pages drilled a three-run home run.
But otherwise, Alvarez did well to handle a pitching staff that danced out of enough trouble to guarantee a Game 6 — one that Alvarez surely will start, this time without much controversy.