Pete Alonso Heating Up Despite Saturday’s Loss

Saturday’s game did end in an 11-7 loss for the New York Mets, but it did provide another impressive set of at-bats from Pete Alonso. The first baseman went on a four-game stretch in Cincinnati and Atlanta where he failed to collect a single hit, but it appears the he is well beyond that now. Alonso is the power threat in the Mets lineup, but his willingness to take singles and the occasional double will be key for this group.

After the Kansas City Royals scored first, Pete Alonso brought them right back with an RBI single up the middle. The Mets would go on to score three runs in the bottom of the first, but that lead would only last for a few minutes. Alonso returned to the batters box with the team trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the third, but once again quickly erased that deficit. The slugger crushed an 88 mph slider from Alec Marsh, depositing it into the left field seats to tie the game.

The middle innings of the game were dominated by the Royals, who led 11-4 heading in the bottom of the sixth. Alonso led the inning off with another quality at-bat, crushing a 90 mph changeup from Ángel Zerpa to left field for his second home run of the afternoon. That moment gave the Mets some momentum and they made a late comeback, but it would fall short in the final two innings.

Alonso talked about the team’s willingness to keep fighting and create quality at bats after the game. “We could have easily folded it in there towards the later part of the game, but we battled. “We scored some extra runs, and we got their closer in the game. So hopefully that helps us out [Sunday] and helps us get a series ‘W,” Alonso said.

The 2023 season was a disappointing one for many within the Mets organization, including Alonso. His average took a major hit for the first time in his career, slashing .217/.318/.504 (.821) in 658 plate appearances. Alonso still went on to hit 46 home runs and drive in 118 runs, but he is a career .252 hitter. The three-time All-Star is more than capable of returning to that type of form this season.

Alonso has been a thorn in the side of many teams across baseball throughout his career, including the Royals. In eight games against them, he is slashing .469/.514/1.000 (1.514 OPS) with five home runs, 10 RBIS, and three walks in 35 plate appearances. He will look to continue that on Sunday, as the Mets hope to win a third consecutive series on the bounce.