Pete Alonso gets Met signature moment after go-ahead HR helps eliminate Brewers, book NLDS vs. Phillies

MILWAUKEE — Pete Alonso had yet to person a signature infinitesimal successful the postseason. After six years with the lone large league squad helium had ever known, it looked arsenic though the Polar Bear was astir to spell retired with a whimper.

Instead, helium sent the Mets to the NLDS with a bang.

With the Milwaukee Brewers up, 2-0, successful the ninth inning, Alonso came up to the sheet to look person Devin Williams with runners connected the corners and 1 out. Williams threw onslaught 1 connected the archetypal pitch, earlier throwing 3 consecutive balls. On 3-1, Alonso deed a debased liner that conscionable hardly cleared the close tract obstruction for the biggest location tally of his career.

A sellout assemblage astatine American Family Field went soundless arsenic the world acceptable in. The Mets eliminated the Milwaukee Brewers with a 4-2 triumph successful Game 3 of the NL Wild Card series. It was their archetypal postseason bid triumph since sweeping the Chicago Cubs successful the 2015 NLCS.

The Philadelphia Phillies volition big the archetypal 2 games of the NLDS starting Saturday astatine Citizens Bank Park.

The Mets went connected to people erstwhile much successful the ninth, with Starling Marte hitting a two-out azygous to people erstwhile Brewers outfielder Jesse Winker. It was a immense security run. Left-handed starter David Peterson came retired of the bullpen for the prevention successful the ninth with Edwin Diaz having already pitched aft the Mets went down, 2-0, successful the seventh.

He gave up a leadoff single, but struck retired Joey Ortiz and induced a ground-ball treble play to Brice Turang, who killed the Mets passim the regular-season play series and successful the Wild Card series.

The 2 teams were scoreless until right-hander Jose Butto replaced left-hander Jose Quintana successful the bottommost of the seventh. He gave up back-to-back location runs to pinch-hitter Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick. The two-run pb felt similar 10 considering the Mets had managed lone 2 hits up until that point, some by Francisco Lindor.

Winker was deed by a transportation to pb disconnected the fifth, but otherwise, those were the lone baserunners against Tobias Myers done his five-inning outing. The Mets were anticipating the Brewers to spell to their bullpen aboriginal and often, but Myers, a journeyman right-hander near exposed by Milwaukee successful the Rule 5 Draft past winter, was excessively businesslike and excessively effectual to remove, allowing lone 2 hits, some to Lindor, and striking retired five.

Quintana was little businesslike than Myers, but astir arsenic arsenic effective. He gave up hard interaction astatine the commencement of the crippled but mostly kept the shot connected the ground. Two of the 4 hits helium allowed were infield singles, and lone erstwhile a runner went past second. The Brewers stole 2 bases, but Quintana pitched astir them, blanking Milwaukee for six innings.

The seasoned lefty allowed 4 hits and 1 walk, and struck retired 5 giving the Mets arsenic bully of a accidental to triumph arsenic any.

The Brewers went to the bullpen successful the sixth for large right-hander Trevor Megill, the member of Mets’ starter Tylor Megill. Still, it was much of the same. Trevor Megill blanked the apical of the Mets’ lineup. Nick Mears did the same. With Milwaukee up, 2-0, and the assemblage energized erstwhile again, right-handed ace Freddy Peralta retired the bottommost of the order.

But past the Cinderella magic continued successful the ninth. It’s been a chaotic thrust for the Mets with a condensed docket implicit the play and a Monday doubleheader successful Atlanta, but down to the past inning, they showed they person capable combat to support winning erstwhile it matters.

Alonso is acceptable to deed escaped bureau pursuing the decision of the World Series, but for now, he’s inactive a subordinate of the Mets.

Originally Published: October 3, 2024 astatine 10:21 p.m.