Alonso’s night turns around with season-saving homer for Mets in 9th inning

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pete Alonso was having a somewhat disappointing night in what may have been his ultimate recreation for the New York Mets.

Then every little thing modified with one swing of the bat.

The slugger broke out of a protracted stoop by smashing a three-run homer off nearer Devin Williams within the ninth inning to place the Mets up for good in a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday within the decisive third recreation of their NL Wild Card Collection.

That made Alonso the primary main leaguer to hit a go-ahead homer when his group was trailing within the ninth inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason recreation, in line with OptaSTATS.

“It’s simply one thing you apply within the yard as a child,” Alonso mentioned. “You undergo these situations as a bit child: All proper, you’re within the playoffs down by a couple of runs. Phrases can’t clarify. That is simply unreal.”

Alonso and the Mets superior to a best-of-five Division Collection starting Saturday in Philadelphia towards the NL East champion Phillies.

The evening may have turned out a lot in a different way for Alonso.

Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead within the seventh on back-to-back homers from pinch-hitter Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick, and was threatening so as to add on. The Brewers had runners at second and third with two outs when William Contreras hit a foul pop towards the stands that Alonso was unable to catch towards the protecting netting, giving the All-Star catcher yet one more probability to drive in some runs.

“It’s baseball,” Alonso mentioned. “It’s a recreation of failure. Typically it’s not the case. Particularly in these massive video games, you’ve received to maneuver on to the subsequent pitch and make a constructive influence, do the perfect you possibly can, keep inside your self and execute.”

The defensive play didn’t turn into an element as soon as Edwin Díaz struck out Contreras to finish that inning. Alonso then got here up with the Mets trailing 2-0 however threatening within the ninth.

Francisco Lindor had began the rally by strolling on a 3-2 pitch. One out later, Brandon Nimmo singled to place the tying run on base for Alonso.

The 29-year-old Alonso has gone deep 226 occasions in his six years with New York — together with a 53-homer season as a rookie in 2019.

“He’s with Mike Piazza as one of many best dwelling run hitters in Mets historical past,” teammate Brandon Nimmo mentioned.

However he hadn’t finished a lot these days. Alonso struggled late within the season and hadn’t had a lot as an extra-base hit since homering on Sept. 19. Nimmo mentioned teammates saved telling Alonso he was only one swing from turning it round.

Including to the strain was the unavoidable indisputable fact that Alonso is a pending free agent. When he stepped to the plate within the ninth inning, he knew it is perhaps his ultimate time at bat in a Mets uniform.

“And now it’s not as a result of he did what massive Pete does,” Nimmo mentioned.

What he did was ship an opposite-field shot over the right-field wall on a 3-1 changeup from Williams, a two-time NL reliever of the yr.

“As quickly as I hit it I used to be like, ‘Oh yeah, no person’s catching that,’” Alonso mentioned.

An excited Alonso put his fingers to his mouth in a “chef’s kiss” gesture as he rounded first base. The feelings continued spilling out because the Mets added an insurance coverage run after which shut the door within the backside of the ninth.

“Nobody is aware of till they undergo it what that wrestle is like,” Nimmo mentioned. “Whenever you’re going by way of the robust occasions and haven’t had an extra-base hit in a few weeks, three weeks, no matter it’s been, you’re simply actually making an attempt to assist the group nevertheless you presumably can, however it’s not there proper now. Like I’ve informed you guys earlier than, you by no means know when that’s going to occur. This recreation is de facto, actually arduous. It could actually occur within the blink of a watch, and it may be actually arduous to get out of. And it’s arduous to keep up your confidence throughout that.

“So the load of feelings on him has in all probability been build up for this final three weeks of that. And the discharge of that, once you lastly come by way of — and also you come by way of in a huge manner in your group — it’s arduous to even put that into phrases. I’m certain that’s why he was so emotional.”

As Alonso spoke to reporters in the course of the champagne-soaked celebration within the Mets’ locker room, he was handed a small pumpkin. Alonso known as it his “playoff pumpkin” and defined that he and his spouse had discovered it whereas visiting a farm exterior Milwaukee when the Mets have been enjoying right here final weekend.

“Nothing’s extra fall than playoff baseball and pumpkins,” Alonso mentioned.

Due to his clutch homer, the Mets would possibly preserve enjoying all through Halloween.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB