Mets’ slugger Pete Alonso hit the biggest home run of his career in an incredible comeback win against the Brewers.
The New York Mets had their backs against the wall. The team was facing a 2-0 deficit in the ninth inning of a winner-take-all playoff game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card round. New York had runners on the corners with one out and Pete Alonso at the plate. The Mets slugger cracked an 86 mph changeup that just made it over the right field wall for the go-ahead home run.
When asked after the game how he would put the incredible accomplishment into words, Alonso simply replied, “Words can’t explain it,” per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
“It was a tough fought game all the way through. It’s two really good teams going at it in the postseason so it was going to come down to that last inning there. I mean, man, it’s just really special. I’m just so happy I could come through for the team right there,” Alonso added.
Pete Alonso kept the Mets’ season alive with a go-ahead ninth inning home run
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Game Three of the Mets vs Brewers Wild Card Series was scoreless after six innings. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Milwaukee took the lead when a pair of unlikely heroes emerged. Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick hit back-to-back home runs to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead late in the game. Milwaukee was attempting an improbable comeback after avoiding elimination in Game Two. The Mets failed to answer in the eighth, setting up the ninth inning fireworks.
New York’s MVP Francisco Lindor led off the top of the ninth and worked a walk. After Mark Vientos struck out, left fielder Brandon Nimmo singled to right, sending Lindor to third and bringing Alonso to the plate for a career-defining, clutch homer.
The Mets were up 3-2 but they didn’t stop there. Brewers’ nemesis Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch. After stealing second, Winker scored on a single to right field by Starling Marte, giving New York a 4-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the ninth.
The Mets gave the ball to David Peterson. After Frelick led things off with a single to left, Peterson struck out Joey Ortiz and Brice Turang hit into a game-ending double play that Lindor brilliantly handled himself, running to touch second before firing to nail Turang at first.
The incredible comeback win sends the Mets to the Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies earned the second-seed in the National League by winning the NL East and finishing with the second-best record in baseball behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The NLDS begins on Saturday in Philadelphia.
