Pete Alonso celebrated his son Theodore’s first birthday by blasting home runs No. 39 and 40 into the Baltimore night, almost singlehandedly erasing a three-run deficit to give the Orioles a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. On a Monday night where 12,057 fans waited through a 47-minute rain delay to watch two “dead teams walking,” Alonso turned a drab September 21st into something genuinely special for his family and the few still paying attention. This single victory might only push playoff elimination back a day or so for the 76-81 Orioles, but it perfectly shows how Alonso has become That Dude amidst pure team chaos.
A Polar Bear Party in Baltimore
The Orioles’ season has become an absolute slog. Playoff elimination is imminent, roster deficiencies are glaring, and they are barreling towards a second consecutive losing season. Yet, Pete Alonso seems totally impervious to it all. Before Monday, the team hadn’t scored in 19 innings, their playoff hopes already exterminated by a pair of Milwaukee Brewers shutouts. Starter Shane Baz even walked the leadoff batter on a pitch clock violation and gave up three runs to the Blue Jays in the top of the first. What a mess. But Alonso shrugged it off. He strode to the plate to Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing” and blasted his 39th homer, a 363-foot shot off Trey Yesavage to the short right field porch at Camden Yards. Later, with two outs in the eighth and a runner on first, he switched his walk-up song to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Sep” and hammered his 40th homer off former teammate Tyler Rogers, a two-run shot that gave the Orioles the lead. Talk about stepping up.
Alonso’s Monster Year Amidst the Grind
This performance was just the icing on the cake for an emotional, transformative year for the Polar Bear. Becoming a father, leaving the New York Mets, and being tasked with carrying a franchise that had never handed out such a massive free agent contract, a five-year, $155 million deal, all while cranking out 40 homers and 100 RBIs. Consider that task crossed off the list. Alonso leads the American League with 108 RBIs, likely killing Yordan Alvarez’s hopes for a Triple Crown, as Alvarez currently sits at 98 RBIs. This is Alonso’s fourth 40-100 campaign in seven full seasons. He’s simply been in metronomic form. Alonso opened up about the challenges, saying, “I think the hardest thing was navigating parenthood. And it’s like how do we get this down , being husband, being dad, being ready to my maximum capabilities by first pitch? As the season’s gone on, I feel like I’m getting more and more in tune with being a parent and being an athlete.” He’s thankful for his teammates and his wife, and honestly, who wouldn’t be?
This win, this moment, it doesn’t change the dire outlook for the Orioles. But it certainly highlights one player who refuses to quit. Here’s to hoping the team can build around this kind of consistent, incredible performance next year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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