Pete Alonso emerged as the hero for the New York Mets as they staged a dramatic ninth-inning comeback to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 in Game 3 of the wild-card series, securing their place in the National League Division Series.
With just two outs remaining and the Mets trailing 2-0, Alonso launched a three-run homer off Brewers closer Devin Williams, flipping the score in favor of New York. This came after the Mets had gone 15 consecutive innings without scoring, extending back to Game 2.
In what might have been his final at-bat with the Mets, Alonso sent a powerful shot to the opposite field, shocking the crowd at American Family Field in Milwaukee. An RBI single by Starling Marte added a crucial insurance run for the Mets, while David Peterson came in from the bullpen to seal the victory.
“I’m just so happy to deliver for the boys,” Alonso expressed following the game.
The Brewers initially surged ahead in the bottom of the seventh with consecutive homers from Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick, breaking a scoreless spell after impressive outings from starting pitchers Jose Quintana and Tobias Myers.
The Mets are set to face the NL East champion Phillies in the NLDS, starting Saturday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. This matchup marks the first postseason clash between these historic rivals, who have faced off nearly 1,100 times in regular-season play.
This victory marked New York’s second celebratory moment of the week, following a grueling schedule of five games in four days that necessitated a split doubleheader on Monday to qualify for the playoffs.
After beginning the season 11 games under .500 in early June, the Mets turned their fortunes around over the summer, ultimately securing their first playoff series win since 2015.