Pete Alonso's heroic blast sends the Mets to the NLDS
It took until the ninth but the Mets came back from the dead again and prevailed over the Brewers to earn a ticket to Philadelphia
What’s Up with the Mets? 🚩
The Mets were one inning away from going home, but Pete Alonso’s three-run home run in the ninth save them and sent them to the NLDS instead with a 4-2 win over the Brewers (box)
1B Pete Alonso saved the best for last. After another 0-fer with a dropped popup in between, he hit the go ahead three-run home run in the ninth inning
LHP José Quintana was brilliant in Game 3. He pitched six scoreless innings and struck out five. His final line for the night was 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, and 5 K
SS Francisco Lindor had another strong game, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. His eight-pitch walk in the ninth sparked the game-winning rally for the Mets
OF Starling Marte’s good series ended on a high note - he drove in the insurance run in the ninth with a single to drive in Jesse Winker
RHP José Buttó entered a scoreless game in the seventh, but gave up back-to-back home runs and only got one out as he put the Mets on the brink of elimination
RHP Edwin Díaz kept the team in it after the Brewers took the lead in the seventh, as he did not allow a run in 1.2 innings and struck out three while walking 2
LHP David Peterson entered in the ninth and picked up the save. He gave up one hit, struck out one, and induced a double play to send the Mets to the NLDS
The club improved to 54-41 all-time in postseason play, now have 43 comeback wins (including the playoffs) and 9-61 when trailing after eight innings (including the playoffs)
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Kodai Senga (triceps tightness) could be available for the NLDS roster
Moment of the Game ⭐
Hmmmm….what moment could this possibly be?
As if there is any doubt it is Pete Alonso’s massive, season-saving home run in the ninth inning. Pete was struggling something awful the entire series but call it fate, call it Grimace, call it Mets magic, call it whatever it was but Alonso finally came through and came through in a big way.
The game was always going to come down to Alonso. Given his struggles since the end of September, fans were starting to turn on the Polar Bear. So in what could’ve been his final at bat in a Mets uniform, Alonso delivered the most memorable home runs of his career and one of the most memorable in Mets history.
No matter how much he struggles, Pete reminded everyone that he is always one of the most threatening power threats in the game every time he steps to the plate.
Did you know? ⁉️
Pete Alonso’s heroic home run in the ninth inning marked the first time in the history of Major League Baseball a team has hit a go-ahead, ninth inning home run with a team trailing in a winner-take-all playoff game
The Mets are the first team in MLB history to clinch both a playoff berth and a playoff series after trailing in the ninth inning or later (Sarah Langs)
Who’s Hot 🔥
Starling Marte went 3-for-9 with a run scored, 2 RBI, and a stolen base in the Wild Card Series
Mets pitchers allowed just five walks in 26 IP to the Brewers in the NL Wild Card Series
A game for the ages… again! ✍️
As was the case on Monday in Atlanta, for eight innings on Thursday, the 2024 Mets seemed like the same ol’ Mets of seasons past.
The Mets appeared beaten. They had spent all their coins in their miracle win on Monday in Atlanta. The flame appeared to finally go out on the 2024 Mets.
After a devastating loss the previous night, the team went down easily inning after inning. Not taking anything away from Milwaukee starter Tobias Myers who pitched brilliantly, the team just seemed lifeless outside of Francisco Lindor with one non-competitive at-bat after the next.
As a fan, you were hoping they would come out hot to prove there was no lingering doubt from the previous night’s disappointment, but that did not happen and it appeared it wouldn’t happen.
It was more of the same. Outs 1-27 were just going to be good morning, good afternoon and then finally, good night. At the beginning, it seemed as though the Mets were coming out in full force when Francisco Lindor was not thrown out stretching a single into a double to leadoff the game, but once again nobody could come up with a clutch hit and Lindor was left stranded.
Pete Alonso was one of the culprits when he flew out to end the inning in what appeared to be the start of a very, very, very long night for the Mets first baseman.
The offense seemed punchless.
They had not hit a home run the entire series and the Brewers, who were more known for their speed and aggressiveness, were getting ahead in this series with the home run ball. Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell beat them with their crushing home runs against Phil Maton in Game 2 and history seemed to be repeating itself in Game 3. José Buttó - who looked so good in his previous appearance in this series - entered after José Quintana’s tremendous start was over.
Buttó, however, was not as fortunate.
Like Maton before him on Wednesday night, Buttó too gave up two home runs in an inning which seemingly appeared to be the final knockout blow for the 2024 Mets, allowing back-to-back home runs to Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick.
Their best reliever exited after getting one out.
It just seemed like it was all over. The Mets had finally melted down, their flaws finally burned them, proving to be fatal.
But as awful as it was, we needed that low point to make Alonso’s home run that much sweeter. He made it a game for the ages for the second time in a 72 hour span.
After Edwin Díaz did a good job at stopping the bleeding in the seventh and eighth inning, the Mets were down to their last three outs in their season. But Brewers closer Devin Williams showed some cracks in his armor after working the night before, and the right part of the Mets lineup was up to take advantage.
And who else but club MVP Francisco Lindor would be the one to get it started?
Lindor drew an eight-pitch walk against Williams to give the Mets life, and really a pulse. With one out, Brandon Nimmo set the stage with a single to put two runners on for Alonso, giving him the chance of a lifetime and the chance to erase a season’s worth of struggles in these very kind of moments.
Pete could’ve struck out. Pete could’ve grounded out into a double play. So many times Mets seasons have ended in heartbreak and this 2024 squad seemed headed in that same direction.
He had hit .232/.344/.417 with runners in scoring position during the regular season. He had hit .239/.338/.433 with two outs and runners in scoring position during the regular season. He had hit just .215/.325/.407 with runners on-base during the regular season.
But he didn’t do any of that. And all of that got erased with one swing of the bat in the ninth inning getting himself into a 3-1 count, a hitters count, and this time when he swung he connected.
The ball sailed over the right field fence, not only giving the Mets new life in these playoffs, it gave them a party for the ages for the second time in a week.
It was the first time all season that Williams gave up a home run on his devastating change-up. This moment was just another feather in the 2024 Mets cap that they don’t give in and don’t give up.
Perhaps they really are different from all the other fun Mets seasons that ended in heartbreak? This week alone is proof of that.
Recall, October 3 was the anniversary of the 1999 Mets forcing a one-game playoff with the Reds to see who would advance to the NLDS against the Diamondbacks that season. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and Mike Piazza up, the Pirates unfurled a wild pitch that scored the winning run, sending the Mets to a Game 163 against the Reds.
This is who the Mets are.
They don’t lose like other ball clubs but they don’t win like them either. It’s in their DNA. The lows are low but the highs are oh so high and so sweet.
Just adding to the extreme Metsiness that took place during the game, their closer got the win and a starting pitcher got the save. Amazing.
Speaking of starters, José Quintana will get overlooked given the dramatics to come but he matched zeroes with Milwaukee and gave his team a chance. Quintana deserves a ton of credit with how he turned his season around and is now performing at the highest level.
Who knows what is still in store for these Mets, but they have left no doubt that whatever it is they face next, it will be equal parts exciting and unbelievable and undoubtedly Metsy.
And today, that is a really good thing.
Around the League 📰
The Dodgers announced they will throw RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 1 of their NLDS against the Padres
The Reds are hiring Terry Francona to be their next manager (ESPN.com)
The Marlins let go of over 70 staff members as they continue to rebuild their front office (Athletic)
Last night was a night that a fan of a team is given the ultimate, a magical moment. It is the reward for sticking with a team during the ups and downs. Baseball unlike any sport has its peaks and valleys during a grueling 162 game season, and in this year so far165 game schedule. Sometimes your heart is ripped out, and sometimes there is pure extasy. This team is so worth the emotional investment, and even when at rock bottom a long time ago in May thee was a reason to believe something good could happen Congrats to the Mets and Met Nation. LET'S GO METS!!!!
Oh, what a night!