Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning to lead the New York Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series.
The Mets are now set to face their NL East rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, in the National League Divisional Series (NLDS) beginning Saturday, marking the first postseason matchup between the two teams.
“I’m very happy that I was able to do it,” Alonso, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, commented after the game. “The moment you dream of as a child, imagining that backyard scenario… It’s hard to put into words; It seems surreal.
Alonso’s home run off All-Star closer Devin Williams, which barely cleared the right-field fence, ignited a wild celebration among Mets fans at American Family Field in Milwaukee. With free agency on the horizon, this could be his last moment with the Mets — but the story isn’t over yet.
The decisive hit made Alonso the first player in major league history to hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning or later in a winner-take-all postseason game.
“It’s all about that next-pitch mentality,” Alonso explained to reporters. “Every at bat, every pitch, every inning I try to give my best. I focus on this because baseball is a game of ups and downs.
“Sometimes you don’t succeed, but especially in these important games, you have to focus on the next pitch, make a positive impact and stay true to yourself in executing your plan.”
After the Mets won Game 1 8-4, the Brewers evened the series with a 5-3 win on Wednesday. Before Alonso’s key home run, Milwaukee appeared poised to win a postseason series for the first time since reaching Game 7 of the 2018 NLCS.
Milwaukee took a two-run lead into the seventh inning and appeared to be in control thanks to back-to-back home runs by Jake Boyers and Sal Frlick. By the ninth inning, the Brewers had retired 12 consecutive Mets batters and allowed just two hits before Williams, who had won Game 2, came on to pitch. But Alonso had other plans.
“I’m really happy that I was able to hit something solid on a pitch that I could handle in a big part of the field,” he said.
At various points in the season it seemed impossible for the Mets to secure a playoff spot, especially when they found themselves trailing the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning on Monday. However, Francisco Lindor’s dramatic two-run homer turned the game around, leading to an 8–7 victory and a postseason berth.
This year’s trip to New York is notable; They started the season 22-33, but still made the playoffs. The win over the Brewers is the Mets’ first win of the postseason since 2015.
“We just witnessed one of the greatest games in Mets history,” said President of Baseball Operations David Stearns. “This franchise has a history of incredible late-game comebacks in the playoffs, and to be a part of this moment with this group is truly special.
“This season won’t be over until something happens in that ninth inning,” he added.