Mets enjoy triumphant return home as Alonso stays red-hot
The Mets win yet another Home Opener on what was just a truly special day at Citi Field...
What’s up with the Mets? ⚾
The Mets won their 2025 Home Opener at Citi Field, shutting out the Blue Jays 5-0 on Friday afternoon (box | highlights)
RHP Tylor Megill delivered 5.1 shutout innings, giving up just two hits while walking three and striking out four
RHP Reed Garrett entered the game and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the sixth
LHP A.J. Minter struckout three in the seventh and RHP Max Kranick tossed two innings of scoreless relief as the bullpen came through once again, allowing just two baserunners over 3.2 innings
1B Pete Alonso got the Mets on the board with a two-run, opposite field home run in the bottom of the first inning, before drawing an intentional walk in the sixth
On his Citi Field debut, Juan Soto recorded an RBI double and finished 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base
OF Brandon Nimmo followed that up with an RBI double of his own to send Soto home and add to the Mets’ lead
SS Francisco Lindor went 1-for-2 with a leadoff double, two runs scored, two walks and a stolen base
Soto, Alonso, Lindor and LHP Sean Manaea were among the players to receive the loudest ovations during the pre-game lineup introductions
Mets icons Bartolo Colón, Juan Lagares, Al Leiter and John Franco all threw out the first pitch on a very special day at Citi Field
Stat of the Day 📈
The Mets are now 42-22 in Home Openers all-time, including 12-5 at Citi Field
The Mets have also now won their Home Opener in five of the last six seasons
Injury Updates 🏥
2B Jeff McNeil (oblique) has been taking swings off a machine in the batting cage
C Francisco Álvarez (fractured left hand) was scheduled to catch a bullpen session thrown by RHP Kodai Senga on Friday. Alvarez is also swinging the bat and is scheduled to take BP in the cages
RHP Paul Blackburn (knee) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday. He could make his season debut in a few weeks
Who’s Hot? 🔥
Tylor Megill has a 0.87 ERA through two starts with 10 strikeouts, four walks and just one earned run allowed in 10.1 innings pitched
Pete Alonso has three home runs and 10 RBIs in his last four games, and is hitting .292/.433/.750/.1.183 on the year
Over their first seven games, Mets starting pitching has a 2.48 ERA. Their relievers have a 1.40 ERA
Who’s Cold? 🥶
Mark Vientos finished 0-for-3 against the Blue Jays and is now hitting just .074/.138/.148/.286 with no home runs and 1 RBI
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Jack Wenninger (No. 29 prospect, Double-A): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
3B Jacob Reimer (No. 21 prospect, High-A): 2-for-5, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 3B
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Play of the Game 🔥
Citi Field was electric. Mets fans were still in fine voice following the pre-game introductions, and there was a palpable energy swirling around the ballpark.
Enter Pete Alonso.
Riding a hot bat, the slugger stepped to the plate in the first inning, having already received plenty of loud adulation. The cheers would only increase in volume.
With Francisco Lindor at second, and with two strikes, Alonso blasted a low-and-away fastball from Kevin Gausman over the right-field fence.
Per Inside Edge, it was just the fourth time in Alonso’s career that he’s taken a two-strike pitch out of the zone out for a home run.
Alonso’s blast really set the tone for what was to come, and it ensured that Citi Field remained rocking. It was essentially a welcome home dinger, with Alonso getting a special curtain call after returning to the dugout.
The Mets never looked back after the red-hot Alonso put them ahead with his third home run of 2025.
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (4-3) vs. Blue Jays (5-3)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Griffin Canning (0-1, 3.18 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Bassitt (1-0, 1.50 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM ET
Where to Watch: SNY
Reflecting on a very special home opener for the Mets… ✍️
What a cool day to be a Mets fan.
In what was arguably one of the most anticipated Home Openers in franchise history, a sell-out crowd flocked to Citi Field to get a first glimpse of Juan Soto on home turf.
Queens was the place to be on Friday, and the excitement levels were tangible hours before first pitch.
With hope and anticipation swirling through the air, a sold-out crowd got to their seats early, ready to give their heroes the kind of welcome home that provided chills.
The decibel levels emanating from Flushing were dangerously high, especially when Soto, the $765 million man, made his way onto the field to a deafening roar.
Mets fans had been waiting months for this moment, and they didn’t disappoint in quickly - and loudly - showing the newest Met just how much love he can expect to get in Queens over the next 15 years.
Howie Rose - who knows a thing or two about being a Mets icon - introduced Soto to the sold-out crowd in a thrilling introduction that will live long in the memory. Soto then went and won plenty of friends over in right field, sprinting over and making his appreciation clear. The cheers and adulation only got louder as Soto stepped to the first plate for the very first time as a Met at Citi Field, and you could have been mistaken for thinking an earthquake had struck Queens given the overwhelming amount of noise being generated as Soto came up with a clutch hit in the sixth inning.
A sold-out crowd also showed plenty of love to Francisco Lindor, who, perhaps inspired by the rousing singalong of ‘My Girl’ prior to his first at-bat, showed plenty of life in what was a big game offensively for the shortstop. He helped to set the tone for a big day with a leadoff double.
And, of course, Mets fans wasted no time in making sure to shower Pete Alonso with all the love and appreciation. Playing in his first home game since a difficult offseason, Alonso was met with nothing but loud cheers throughout the pre-game ceremony, and he also received a touching curtain call after hitting a first inning two-run home run.
Alonso was home, where he belongs, and he was reminded of that all game long by his loyal and adoring fans.
The team did their part too, delivering a storybook ending to what was truly an unforgettable day at Citi Field.
The offense flashed signs of its tantalizing potential as Soto, Lindor, Alonso and Brandon Nimmo all came up with big and timely hits. Starling Marte, who is getting used to a diminished role this year, pushed across the final run of the day with a sacrifice fly. We saw for the first real time this season just how formidable and hard-to-stop that lineup can be.
On the pitching side, Tylor Megill was money for the second straight outing, offering hope that maybe, just maybe, he’s figured out the consistency issues that have plagued him throughout his career. And, continuing an early season trend, the bullpen was elite with Reed Garrett, A.J. Minter, and Max Kranick combining to allow just two baserunners and no runs over 3.2 shutdown innings.
We got a glimpse on Friday of just how dangerous this team can be when everything is clicking.
Fans departed Citi Field no doubt full of excitement and hope, ready for plenty more days like Friday throughout the 2025 season.
As Lindor so beautifully put it after the game, Friday “was a good day to be a New York Met,” and it only served to raise the excitement levels for what could be this season.
But, for now, we can sip our coffee this morning and bask in the glow of what was one of the most special and unforgettable Home Openers in recent memory.
Around the League 🚩
Shota Imanaga allowed just one run over 7 1/3 frames as the Cubs handed the Padres their first loss of 2025
Kerry Carpenter blasted a pair of home runs to help the Tigers beat the White Sox in their Home Opener
Trevor Story and Willy Abreu hit back-to-back homers as the Red Sox piled on 13 runs against the Cardinals in Boston’s Home Opener at Fenway
Aaron Judge hit his sixth homer of the year in his 1,000th career MLB regular season game as the Yankees beat the Pirates, 9-4
The Phillies got clutch performances in abundance to snap the Dodgers’ historic win streak at 8 with a 3-2 win
The Braves picked up their first win of the year, shutting out the Marlins 10-0 thanks to 3 RBIs from Matt Olson and 10 strikeouts from Spencer Schwellenbach
Orioles star Gunnar Henderson made his return from injury to make his season debut, but wasn’t able to help his team in an 8-2 loss to the Royals
José Ramírez hit three home runs as Cleveland beat the Angels, tying a franchise record for the 26th most career multi-homer games
Awesome write-up. Happy Pete had such a warm homecoming. LGM! 🍎
Great win 👏 Pitching has been lights out. Hopefully the bats other than Pete wake up soon 🤞