By: DANIELA PEREZ LEAL / CHIEF ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
OMG!
Facing elimination in the top of the 9th inning, down 2-0 with two outs, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso stepped to the plate and launched a miraculous three-run go-ahead homer to give New York a 3-2 lead in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card against the Milwaukee Brewers last week. The team never looked back and ultimately won the game 4-2, eliminating the Brewers and advancing to the NLDS.
Poetically, the Polar Bear approached the plate with fellow Mets stars Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo on base following a walk and a single. With his contract expiring after this season, the at-bat could have represented the very last time Alonso would hold his bat in a Mets uniform. However, Alonso had different plans and turned the predicted loss into an incredible win, extending his tenure with the storied franchise.
The incredible scene silenced the sold-out crowd at American Family Field in Milwaukee, who were positive they’d be heading to Philadelphia to face the Phillies in the next round of the postseason. It was a fair assumption, as Alonso became the first player in the history of baseball to hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning or later in a winner-takes-all postseason game.
While Brewers pitcher Devin Williams had no choice but to hang his head, Alonso screamed and blew a kiss to the sky, greeting the rest of his ecstatic teammates at home plate to celebrate. Mets outfielder Starling Marte then singled home Jesse Winker for an insurance run, but pitcher David Robertson ultimately didn’t need it and shut out the Brewers in the last inning to secure the win.
Alonso reflected on his historic home run after the game, describing the poetic nature of the moment.
“You go through those scenarios as a little kid,” Alonso said while clutching both a beer and a bottle of champagne. “It’s like, ‘All right, you’re in the playoffs, you’re down by two runs.’ I don’t know. Words can’t explain it.”
These were the words that Alonso likely struggled to find among so many emotions and feelings to express the meaning of this achievement for him and the team. However, the only thing that was clearly shown in the videos was his big smile.
Following the celebration, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who always trusted that the team’s last regular season matchup against the Phillies would not be the last time they met this season, expressed some words to the team before putting on his goggles and opening the champagne.
“Look around, Look around, Look at these faces right here. I want to see that smile, this is who we are, this is who we are boys,” Mendoza said. “We keep having fun, we keep smiling, this us right here and we continue to believe, let’s go!”
Mendoza has been rewarded for his mindset and the way he has driven this team, making history in his first year with the Mets. While navigating rough waters earlier in the season, Mendoza (with some help from Grimace) was able to get the team back on track and rally to the postseason.
With this accomplishment, Mendoza became the second Venezuelan Manager to drive a team into the MLB postseason, after Ozzie Guillen drove the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and 2008.
Alonso’s home run continues the storybook run of the Mets over the last week. Just a few days prior, Francisco Lindor launched a go-ahead two-run homer of his own in the ninth inning to defeat the Atlanta Braves and secure a playoff berth. The Mets have been living proof that nothing is impossible and that the game doesn’t end until the final out.
The Mets will face the Phillies starting on Oct 5. They are scheduled to play the first two games of a potential five in Philadelphia and return to New York for Game 3. As Mendoza said, the Mets will continue to believe and their entire community is ready to keep cheering and supporting their home team.
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