Reap the rewards of crossing the bridge
There are several advantages to loosening up your alternate picking style with legato elements.

1. Alternate picking is challenging technique to learn. Especially if you're somewhat new to it and the  legato parts of these licks allows you to take a break from the constant picking up and down motion.

2. Because these licks are much easier to play than pure alternate picking licks, they cause you to use alternate picking more often and this actually makes you better at alternate picking. And when you have a quick alternative to your alternate picking licks, you take more chances and use more of your alternate picking skills.

3. These licks sound great, because of the mix between the noisy pick strokes and the soft fluid legato notes. This contrast between these two very different sounding techniques creates an interesting blend.

4. They create a bridge between the two techniques so learning them will also give you the ability to effortlessly shift between alternate picking and legato, because the licks themselves are the bridge. This gives you more freedom and a more fluid playing style.

[Gephysrophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of crossing bridges]