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| Pete Alonso after connecting on his big hit Wednesday evening. @Mets. |
Mets star first baseman Pete Alonso is the most clutch hitter in New York baseball.
That was proven in last year's postseason when he drilled a three-run game-winning home run in the decisive Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams.
For a player who was only competing in his sixth playoff game, that was a remarkable moment, as the Mets were down 2-0 and down to the final out. This was certainly more clutch than any moment from someone in The Bronx he is frequently compared to, Aaron Judge, who as a Yankee, has been in far more playoff games to this point in his career.
That was proven much earlier in the season, when he drilled a game-winning home run on April 4, 2024, to deliver the Mets their first win of the season against the Detroit Tigers after a dispiriting 0-5 start.
Nearly one year to the day later, on Wednesday evening in Miami, Alonso stepped up in a similar Mets predicament.
The Mets entered the game with a 2-3 record, as they opened the season dropping two of three games to the Astros in Houston before splitting the first two games in Miami.
The Marlins led this one, 4-1, in the top of the eighth inning, with Calvin Faucher on the mound for Miami.
Tyrone Taylor opened the inning with a groundout before Luis Torrens singled, and he raced to third on a single by Francisco Lindor.
Juan Soto was up next, and he bounced one to first baseman Jonah Bride, who fired one home to nab Torrens at the plate.
Alonso was up next, and he worked the count to 2-1 before he took a four-seam fastball for a strike to even the count.
This was the moment that Faucher would prove if he had the pitch to get Alonso out, or if Pete, as well as anyone in baseball, will exploit that he doesn't.
Alonso fouled off a 92.4 MPH cutter, then a 96.6 MPH four-seam fastball, then Faucher went back to a cutter, this one at 91.9, and Alonso swatted that away.
Then, Faucher tried a sweeper, at 88.8 MPH, and Alonso fought that off.
By this point, it almost felt inevitable Alonso would hit one, and he did.
Faucher tried getting another four-seam fastball by him, but he crushed it to deep center field for a three-run homer to tie the game at 4.
This was Alonso's second home run of the season, to go along with eight RBI, which is better than one per game at the moment.
It stayed that way until the top of the 11th inning, with Xzavion Curry on the mound for Miami, and Soto already out there as the automatic runner at second base.
Alonso would be the leadoff hitter, and in an eight-pitch at-bat that went to a full count, Alonso drew a walk, as he laid off a 90.4 MPH four-seamer that was up and in. This gave the Mets had two on and nobody out.
Brandon Nimmo then lined one to center field, hit way too hard for Soto to come around to score, so the bases were now loaded.
Jesse Winker then drew a four-pitch walk to bring in Soto and give the Mets a 5-4 lead. Mark Vientos then hit one to shortstop Xavier Edwards, who with the infield drawn in, was attempting to field it from a different angle, and it bounced off his glove and past him, allowing Alonso to score and make it 6-4 Mets.
Luisangel Acuna gave Curry a lifeline to keep it there, as he bounced into a double play, and Taylor flew out to center field to end the frame.
Left-hander Danny Young came on for the Mets to close it out, with Javier Sanoja at second for Miami as the ghost runner.
Sanoja wouldn't be out there long, as Edwards made up for his miscue by singling him home to pull Miami within a run, at 6-5.
Kyle Stowers then walked to give Miami two runners on and none out, with Griffin (son of Jeff) Conine coming up.
Young's first pitch was a ball before he got Conine to foul off a cutter and a sweeper, and he struck out swinging on a sweeper for the first out.
With that, Huascar Brazoban came on for the Mets, and he got Bride to fly out to right field and struck out Otto Lopez looking to close out the win.
The Mets return home with a record of 3-3, which is what would be expected against a still-solid Houston team and the Marlins.
The much-anticipated home opener will be Friday afternoon at Citi Field against the Toronto Blue Jays, with the first pitch at 3:10 p.m.
Tylor Megill, who earned the win last Friday in Houston, will be on the mound for the Mets, and Kevin Gausman, who also won his first start, over Baltimore, will be on starting for the Jays.
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