Pete Alonso was National League Rookie of the Month for April and National League Rookie of the Night on Tuesday. He is a veteran in kid’s clothing any time you hear him speak. He is a franchise player exploding all around us.
Aside from Alonso, one-man wrecking crew that he seems to be, there were in fact several stars of the Mets’ 7-6 win over the Padres at Petco Park, as necessary a win as a team could claim when a season isn’t yet a quarter done. A four-game losing streak was zeroing in on five. The last pitcher/hitter to capture a contest for the Mets, Noah Syndergaard, put them in position to lose their next. Unlike last week versus Cincy, Noah neither homered like a slugger (his one base hit led to him being picked off) nor dealt like an ace (6 IP, 5 R, 9 H). After throwing his final pitch, the Mets were down, 5-2.
They were, however, not out. A seventh-inning uprising, highlighted by Brandon Nimmo’s return from ohfer purgatory, brought them even. Seth Lugo’s two innings of tenacity kept them there. And Alonso? The object of Chris Paddack’s scorn, contrived or otherwise? Let’s just say Pete took Petco out for a walk, pulling a two-run, ninth-inning job to the Western Metal building that, had the edifice not gotten in the way, was bound to land somewhere in the Far East.
Alonso’s eleventh home run provided Edwin Diaz a 7-5 lead to protect for his prospective ninth save — or two fewer saves than Alonso already has home runs. Diaz, as is the wont of many a decorated Met closer in San Diego, made it shall we say interesting. The Padres quickly halved their deficit, sent forth unsavory characters like Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer, loaded the bases even…but Diaz held tight, getting the ground ball he needed to bounce tamely toward Amed Rosario, who (for a change) made the simple play he needed to make, tossing said grounder to Robinson Cano, recent collector of a 2,500th hit and then some.
The Mets were once again winners and Pete Alonso remained freshly baked sliced bread, the greatest thing to which all other hotshot rookies can compare themselves if they dare.
All great but a little worried that, with the bat flip and couple other signs, Pete too rapidly going from “aw, shucks” to “oh, shit”?
Lowrie looms. I presume they will keep hapless Frazier and send Davis down, unless they can somehow live without Keon Broxton (would help if he changed named to Cleon).
I succumbed to the clutches of sleep sometime after the midnight hour, having given in to the inevitability of the impending L. I thought to myself as I shut off the television that it would be a pleasant surprise to wake up this morning to news that my Mets had somehow come from behind and pulled a rabbit out of a hat, never really believing it was a remote possibility. This morning’s headlines were a pleasant surprise indeed.
I don’t know if my heart could have taken that bottom of the ninth in real time, though.
Living in England, this game started at 03 30. Obviously I set my alarm for 5am and watched it before work. I was slightly concerned at 5-2, absolutely ecstatic at 7-5 and sweating profusely at 7-6. However, Diaz nicely arranged to secure the win at 06 50 in time for me to catch last train to get me to work in time. MAGIC. And we go again in 20 mins!
^^ hat’s off BCM. crazier hours than west coast games could ever be for US east coasters! and a more gluttony glutton for punishment you must be…cheers!
i crashed at 5-2 with syndegaard still on mound. awoke in time to catch alonso’s blast/flip.
at just several weeks in majors, hs feels like the closest thing to mike piazza since *his* at bats were stop everything and watch events. so essential that he broke camp with the team.
and yes the bottom of the ninth was tortuous!
that the mets pulled out the win was huge.
not a crying wilmer but maybe an inflection point.
and fittingly another wilmer is taking it from here.
LGM.
Wilmer Font: Hellvetica or Helvetica?
Futura or Comic Sans?
or just Wide Latin?
The original Wilmer Font.
Pretty sure that wasn’t a real “take that!” bat flip. Looked like the bat didn’t want to disengage from Pete’s hand; he looked back somewhat startled by it. Alonso looks like a classy kid, I’m extending him the benefit of the doubt.
Now about our pitching…
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