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09/16/26 01:29:00
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09/16 01:27 CDT Pete Alonso hits 300th homer to tie game in 9th against Mets
and gets rare curtain call on road
Pete Alonso hits 300th homer to tie game in 9th against Mets and gets rare
curtain call on road
By JERRY BEACH
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- Pete Alonso hit plenty of memorable home runs for the New
York Mets.
This one came at their expense --- and still earned him a curtain call in
Queens.
Alonso launched his 300th career homer Tuesday night, a tying shot in the ninth
inning against his former team, and Coby Mayo's inside-the-park homer in the
11th sent the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-5 victory at Citi Field.
"There's a lot of history here with me," Alonso said after receiving a beer
shower from his Baltimore teammates. "It doesn't matter where and when, I just
want to help the team win. I'm just really, really happy for us to come back
the way we did."
The Orioles were two outs from a defeat that would have dropped them four games
behind Cleveland for the last American League playoff spot when Alonso hit a
414-foot solo drive off Kodai Senga to tie the score 3-all.
A pumped-up Alonso, who hit a club-record 264 homers for the Mets before
signing with the Orioles last December, fired his bat toward the Baltimore
dugout and shouted in excitement. He rounded the bases as the Citi Field crowd
of 28,097 --- down from 35,800 for the slugger's return Monday night --- roared.
Fans chanted his name until Alonso emerged from the dugout for a curtain call.
Then chants of "Fire Stearns" began, aimed at Mets president of baseball
operations David Stearns.
"Everyone in the dugout was saying go out there," Alonso said. "And they were
right."
Said Orioles manager Craig Albernaz: "The dugout was fired up for Pete for a
lot of different reasons. It was cool to get an acknowledgment from the crowd."
The rare curtain call on the road continued an outpouring of support from Mets
fans for Alonso over the past two nights --- and apparently annoyed at least
one of his former teammates.
"As the 2026 Mets, I know we have definitely underperformed. But we are --- the
guys in here work their (tails) off every single day and to have that kind of
reaction to an opposing player --- could be anybody --- is crazy to me," said
New York pitcher Sean Manaea, who started Tuesday night. "Again, I've got
nothing but respect for Pete. But yeah, just never seen anything like that
before.
"Pete's not here," the veteran left-hander added. "He's just not here. So, I
know everybody loves him. He's the man. But, yeah, he's not here. So, to see
the reaction from the fans like that, I don't know, it's just different."
Alonso became the third player to hit his 300th home run against a team for
whom he played in 1,000 or more games. Willie Horton hit No. 300 with Seattle
against the Detroit Tigers in 1979, and Torii Hunter did so for the Tigers
against the Minnesota Twins in 2013.
Alonso received a two-minute tribute video before the Orioles' 2-1 win Monday
night at Citi Field. He was showered with a thunderous ovation before his first
at-bat minutes later, when he was accompanied to the plate by "Layla," one of
his walk-up songs, as "Welcome Back, Pete!" flashed next to his picture on the
scoreboard.
He got standing ovations before each of his final three plate appearances as
well on Monday, when rookie pitcher Jonah Tong was booed after walking Alonso
in the third, and warm receptions prior to his first three at-bats Tuesday.
"I appreciate all the support for all the years I've been here, all the life
I've lived here," Alonso said Tuesday night. "Obviously, they're recognizing
that and they appreciate that. It's a two-way street. Really appreciate it."
Alonso was given his home run ball by the trio of Long Islanders --- Michael
Shaw, Nick Maldarella and Chris Makarius --- who teamed up to catch the
milestone drive, which caromed off the second deck of stands in left field and
fell into the first deck.
"On the way here, we were saying we're going to catch his 300th home run,"
Maldarella said. "And sure enough, man. It's crazy."
Maldarella and Makarius said they each got a hand on it before sharing it with
Shaw.
"Never leave a man behind," Shaw said.
Alonso signed a bat and a ball for each fan in return. He also signed the
shirts they were wearing --- an Alonso Mets jersey for Shaw and Makarius and a
Carlos Delgado shirt for Maldarella --- and offered them tickets and
batting-practice access at Camden Yards in Baltimore next season.
"Thank you, guys," Alonso said to the trio outside the visitors' clubhouse.
"You guys are so kind. Thank you so much."
Alonso also posed for a group picture and for photos with each person
individually.
"I mean, who doesn't love Pete?" Shaw said.
___
See AP's full MLB coverage here
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