Pete Alonso absolutely crushed his 300th career home run last night, and it wasn’t just any homer, it was a game-tying, ninth-inning blast against his *former* team, the Mets, right there at Citi Field. This dude, who spent his entire professional career with the Mets until this season, came back as a visitor and reminded everyone what they let go.
The Polar Bear’s Dramatic Return to Queens
Alonso’s return to Citi Field has been something else. He played the opener of the interleague series on Monday, going 0-for-3 with a walk in a 2-1 Baltimore win. But Tuesday night? That was classic Polar Bear. The Orioles were trailing the Mets 1-0 in the ninth inning, bases empty, one out. Right-hander Kodai Senga served him three straight offspeed pitches. Alonso took the first two out of the zone, then absolutely launched the third one 414 feet for career home run No. 300. You gotta see the aggressive bat heave after that blast. He’s now the 171st member of that 300 home-run club, and the Mets crowd was actually cheering him! Imagine that, an opposing player hits a game-tying homer against your team, and the fans are roaring for him. That’s how much love the guy still gets in Queens, maybe even more love than their own team that’s already out of postseason contention.
Alonso Is Carrying the O’s Wild Card Hopes
That game-tying shot was crucial, because the Orioles went on to prevail 7-5 in extra innings. That win nudges the Orioles up to 74-78 on the season, meaning they are *still* very much alive in the chase for the third and final wild card spot in the American League. Alonso’s a huge part of that. This homer was his 36th of the season. He’s got a ridiculous slash line of .267/.362/.499, and get this: he’s played in all 152 games for Baltimore this season. The man leads the AL in RBI with 101. He’s rocking a 4.1 WAR for the season, proving he’s been worth every penny of that five-year free agent contract the Orioles gave him last winter. It makes you wonder what Mets’ lead exec David Stearns was thinking when they didn’t push to re-sign him.
With Alonso crushing it like this and single-handedly dragging the team forward, the O’s are still in the hunt. Can this guy actually carry them into October? He’s certainly trying.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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