The series finale Thursday night may also be the finale for Pete Alonso in a Met uniform.
The free-agent-to-be has blasted 226 home runs in blue and orange, including 34 this year, and he will have suitors who may offer him more money than New York. The fan base seems divided on whether it wants to see Alonso back. While the homers have added up to the third most in franchise history, his OPS this season was .788 – a career-low by 39 points.
With runners in scoring position this year he slashed .232/.330/.417, leading some to question his ability to hit in the clutch. He didn’t quiet his critics in the Game 2 Wild Card loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Alonso grounded into an inning-ending double play in the first inning with runners at first and third. He likely would have been out anyway, but he embarrassingly tripped over his own bat running to first. He struck out to end the fifth inning with Brandon Nimmo on second. He finished 1-for-4.
Mets fans may be uneasy, but Alonso is keeping the faith, and manager Carlos Mendoza is confident that his 29-year-old first baseman will come through.
“I feel good,” Alonso said after Game 2. “Yeah. I mean, I feel like I’m taking pretty decent at-bats. Yeah. I feel really consistent. Just need to keep swinging and good things will happen. Keep swinging at good pitches and good things will happen.”
“I mean, look,” Mendoza said. “When you’re facing elite pitching staff, it’s not gonna be easy to hit balls out of the ballpark. And we’ve done a good job of going the other way, take what the game has given us, putting the ball in play. Today we didn’t do that. Pete, he’s a power hitter, you know, and he’s just one swing away from hitting a big one. He’s got another opportunity tomorrow and he’ll step up.”
If he does step up, the Mets go to Philadelphia, where hopefully he can help delay his potential finale again.
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