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Draft:Pete Alonso's 2024 Wild Card Series home run

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Pete Alonso's 2024 Wild Card Series home run

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2024 National League Wild Card Series Game 3
New York Mets Milwaukee Brewers
4 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York Mets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 5 0
Milwaukee Brewers 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 7 0
DateOctober 3, 2024
VenueAmerican Family Field
CityMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Managers
UmpiresVic Carapazza, Mike Estabrook, Brennan Miller, Alan Porter (crew chief), Chris Segal, Alex Tosi
Attendance41,594
TelevisionESPN
TV announcersJon Sciambi, Doug Glanville, and Jesse Rogers
RadioESPN
Radio announcersMike Couzens and Chris Burke

Pete Alonso's 2024 Wild Card Series home run was a baseball play that occurred in Game 3 of the 2024 National League Wild Card Series, on October 3, 2024, at American Family Field in Milwaukee. With his team down by 2 and two outs away from elimination, Alonso hit a go-ahead 3-run home run against Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Devin Williams. The home run put the New York Mets up 3-2, and they would go on to win the game 4-2 and win the series 2 games to 1.

Background

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Milwaukee Brewers

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The Brewers won the National League Central in 2023, earning the 3rd seed in the National League. In the 2023 National League Wild Card Series, the Brewers held a 3-0 lead in Game 1, and a 2-0 lead in Game 2, however they lost both of those games 6-3 and 5-2 respectively, eliminating them in 2 games, whereas the Diamondbacks went on to win the National League pennant before losing in the 2023 World Series in 5 games.[1]

During the offseason, two key members of the 2023 squad departed the team. On November 6, 2023, the Brewers parted ways with manager Craig Counsell as he was hired to become the manager of the Chicago Cubs just five days after his contract with the Brewers expired.[2] On February 1, 2024, the Brewers traded away former Cy Young Award winning starting pitcher Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for left-handed pitcher DL Hall, infielder Joey Ortiz and a 2024 draft pick.[3]

Despite the losses, the Brewers were able to add solid pieces to their team, most notably signing soon-to-be rookie Jackson Chourio to an eight-year contract worth $82 million on December 4, 2024.[4]

Entering into the 2024 season, despite winning their division, the Brewers were predicted by MLB.com to miss the playoffs entirely.[5] However, they went on finish the regular season with a 93-69 record, winning the division after holding a share of the division lead from April 30 to the end of the season, and in only one month (July) did they have a losing record.[6] The Brewers clinched the NL Central, and a playoff spot on September 18, 2024.[7]

Entering the 2024 Postseason, the Brewers were hoping to win their first playoff series since 2018, after losing in 2019 Wild Card Game, 2020 Wild Card Series, 2021 Division Series and the aforementioned 2023 Wild Card Series.

New York Mets

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Despite having the largest payroll in 2023,[8] the Mets finished the 2023 season with a 75-87 record, 4th in the National League East.

Entering into the 2024 season, the Mets, like the Brewers, were expected to miss the playoffs entirely.[5] For the first two months of the season, that prediction looked like it would be correct after starting the season 0-5, and being 11 games under .500 at 22-33 on May 29th. But then, things started to turn around.

Following their 33rd loss, the Mets held a team meeting.[9] On June 12, 2023, at a 28-37 record, the Mets were playing the Marlins, when Grimace threw out the ceremonial first pitch.[10] The Mets immediately followed that up with a 7-game winning streak. and would go on to win 12 of their next 14 games, putting them a game over .500 on June 28th.[11] That same day, Jose Iglesias would release the song OMG which would become a rallying cry for the Mets for the rest of the season.[12]

After starting the season 24-35, the Mets went 64-36 over their next 100 games, for a record of 87-72 record going into the final day of the regular season.[11] Going into that day, the Mets held the final playoff spot, ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks due to their 4-3 record against them,[13] and one game behind the Atlanta Braves. Desperately needing a win, they defeated the Brewers 5-0 to put them at 88-72, and following a win by the Diamondbacks and a loss by the Braves, the teams were in a virtual 3-way tie with the Braves and Mets still holding the last two playoff spots via head-to-head record, and both had 2 games in hand, due to two cancelled games against each other because of Hurricane Helene.[14]

Because of the cancelled games, a doubleheader was scheduled on September 30, 2024, the day after the final day of the regular season, because the last two Wild Card spots in the National League were not yet locked up, as a sweep by either side would eliminate the other whereas a split would eliminate the Diamondbacks.[15] During game 1 of the doubleheader, the Mets rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the top of the 8th to take a 6-3 lead, only to allow 4 runs in the bottom half and lose the lead. Trailing 7-6 in the 9th with one out, Francisco Lindor would hit a 2-run home run to give the Mets an 8-7 lead, a lead they would not relinquish. This win guaranteed at least a tie with the Diamondbacks, and because they held the tiebreaker, the Mets clinched a playoff spot on the second-to-last game of the season. They could have knocked the Braves out of the playoffs and gotten the 5th seed with a win, however they got shutout 3-0, meaning that the Diamondbacks were eliminated, the Braves got the 5th seed, and the Mets got the 6th seed.[16]

Entering the 2024 Postseason, the Mets were hoping to win their first playoff series since their run to the World Series in 2015, after losing in the 2016 Wild Card Game, and the 2022 Wild Card Series.

The setup

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The Brewers and Mets faced off in the 2024 Wild Card Series with the Brewers holding the 3rd seed, and the Mets holding the 6th seed. All 3 games in the best-of-3 series were scheduled to be played at American Family Field due to the Brewers being the better seeded team. The two teams faced off in their first and last scheduled series of the regular season.

On the very first game of the season, tensions arose when Rhys Hoskins slid hard into Jeff McNeil causing McNeil to start yelling at Hoskins, clearing the benches.[17] The Brewers would go on to win the game 3-1 and sweep the Mets, winning 7-6 and 3-1 in games 2 and 3 respectively.

In their last regular season series against each other, the Brewers won games 1 and 2 by scores of 8-4 and 6-0 respectively, however the Mets won game 3 by a score of 5-0, which ended up being a key win for the Mets, as they made the playoffs via a tiebreaker, with 0 wins to spare.

Game 1

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Game 1 of the series was a back-and-forth affair. The Brewers took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st on an RBI single by William Contreras and a RBI hit by pitch by Rhys Hoskins. However, in the top of the 2nd the Mets took a 3-2 lead on a 2-run triple by Jesse Winker followed by a sacrifice fly by Starling Marte. Tensions between these teams arose once again when Winker began yelling at the Brewers infielders while rounding 2nd during his triple, causing Willy Adames to say "I'll let you know in the parking lot" when Winker said "whatchu wanna do about it", as a pitch was being thrown to the next batter.[18] The Brewers would reclaim the lead on an RBI double by Jackson Chourio and an RBI groundout by William Contreras to go up 4-3 in the top of the 4th. Once again however, the Mets would respond immediately. Jackson Chourio would make a leaping catch at the wall, saving a home run for the first out, but would then misplay a fly ball hit by Tyrone Taylor leading to a double. The Mets would take advantage of that mistake, as Jose Iglesias would tie the game with an RBI infield single with 2 outs, followed by 2-run singles by Mark Vientos and J. D. Martinez to put the Mets up 8-4 after a 5-run top of the 5th. The Mets bullpen held the lead as the Mets took a 1-0 series lead.[19]

Game 2

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Game 2 of the series began with the Mets taking a 1-0 lead in the top of a 1st after an RBI single by Brandon Nimmo. However Jackson Chourio would atone for his misplay in game 1 by tying the game with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the 1st. Much like in game 1 however, the Mets would immediately respond. Francisco Álvarez would hit an RBI single and Francisco Lindor would hit a sacrifice fly, to give the Mets a 3-1 lead in the top of the 2nd. The Brewers would get a run back on a sacrifice fly by Blake Perkins to make it 3-2, however that score would hold heading into the bottom of the 8th. 6 outs away from a trip to the National League Division Series, the Mets put in Phil Maton for the bottom of the 8th. Jackson Chourio would lead off the inning with his second home run of the game, tying the game at 3, becoming the first player to hit two game-tying home runs in the same postseason game since Babe Ruth in game 4 of the 1928 World Series.[20] Then, with 2 outs, Garrett Mitchell hit a 2-run homer off Maton to put the Brewers up 5-3 in the bottom of the 8th. Devin Williams retired the Mets in order in the top of the 9th as the Brewers forced a winner-take-all game 3.[21]

The game

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Going into Game 3, the Mets had lost their last two winner-take-all games and had not scored a single run in their last 21 innings of such games, losing 3-0 in the 2016 Wild Card Game, and 6-0 in game 3 of the 2022 Wild Card Series. The Brewers had last won a winner-take-all game in the 2011 National League Division Series. Since then they lost their last two despite holding leads in both of them, losing 5-1 in game 7 of the 2018 National League Championship Series after initially leading 1-0, and losing 4-3 in the 2019 Wild Card Game after initially leading 3-0, and holding a 3-1 lead in the 8th.

First 8 innings

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The Brewers sent out Tobias Myers to start the game, and the Mets sent out José Quintana as their starter. Myers pitched 5 scoreless innings, and Quintana pitched 6 scoreless innings. The game would remain scoreless until the bottom of the 7th when pinch hitter Jake Bauers led off the inning with a home run off of reliever José Buttó to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. On the very next pitch, Sal Frelick took him deep to put the Brewers up 2-0. After getting the next batter out, Buttó was relieved by Edwin Díaz. Díaz allowed 2 walks, but was able to strike out William Contreras to strand runners on 2nd and 3rd and limit the damage to two runs. The 8th inning was scoreless for both teams, and the Brewers, 3 outs away from the National League Division Series, sent out Garrett Mitchell for the 9th, trying to get his second save in as many games, to close out the series. Heading into the 9th, the Mets had not scored a run in their last 29 innings of a winner-take-all postseason game.[22]

The 9th inning

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Francisco Lindor led off the inning, and drew an 8-pitch walk. Mark Vientos was the next batter, and struck out, putting the Brewers 2 outs away from the NLDS. Brandon Nimmo, representing the tying run singled on an 0-2 pitch, to put runners on the corners with 1 out in the 9th. The next batter was Pete Alonso, representing the potential go-ahead run.[22]

Pete Alonso

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Pete Alonso had been a member of the New York Mets since his rookie season in 2019. That season, he set the rookie record for most home runs in a season with 53, beating out the previous record of 52, set by Aaron Judge 2 years prior.[23] He continued to hit around 40 homers from 2021-2023, hitting 37 in 2021, 40 in 2022, and 46 in 2023. The 2024 season was his last season under the Mets' control. That season his power took a little step back hitting "only" 34 home runs.[24] Going into this at-bat, ESPN commentator Jon Sciambi stated that this could "quite possible be his final at-bat as a New York Met".[25]

The play

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On a 3-1 pitch, Alonso hit a line drive into right field that just cleared the wall for a go-ahead 3-run home run (367 feet) to end the scoreless streak and give the Mets a 3-2 lead in the 9th, putting them 3 outs away from the NLDS.

With that home run, Pete Alonso became the first player in MLB history to hit a go-ahead home run while trailing in the ninth inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game.[26] Including tiebreaker series, he was just the second to do so, only after the Shot Heard 'Round the World in 1951.[22][27]

The calls

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  • ESPN with Jon Sciambi:
"Lindor at 3rd, Nimmo at 1st. The pitch: swing and a ball drilled, right field, Frelick back, at the wall, outta here! It's outta here! Alonso with an opposite field home run, and the Mets have the lead! Pete Alonso, The Polar Bear, takes Devin Williams deep. And here in the 9th, the comeback kids have done it again. It's 3-2 Mets." [25]
"Williams sets, here's the pitch: swing and a fly ball to right field. Pretty well hit. Frelick back, at the wall. He jumps, it's gone! He did it! He did it! Pete Alonso with the most memorable home run of his career! He pumps his fist as he rounds 2nd. It's a 3-run homer. He's given the Mets a 3-2 lead! They all pour out of the dugout. Alonso on his way to home plate. They're waiting for him. He hits the plate. He is first congratulated by Nimmo, hugged by Lindor, there are a dozen Mets waiting for him outside the dugout. Pete Alonso keeps this fairytale season going, with the fairytale swing, of his career! 3-2 New York!" [28]
"And the pitch: hit in the air to right. Deep, warning track and gone. Peter Alonso just put New York on top in this one, with a three-run home run to right field. And just like that, a 2-0 lead is now a 3-2 deficit. That quickly. Wow." [28]

Aftermath

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The Mets would go on to add another run on an RBI single by Starling Marte, scoring Jesse Winker, who spiked his helmet to the ground in celebration, breaking said helmet. The Mets held a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 9th where after a leadoff single by Sal Frelick, Mets reliever David Peterson struck out Joey Ortiz, and got Brice Turang to hit into the series-ending double play. The Mets won the series 2-1, and advanced to the NLDS.[22]

Milwaukee Brewers

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This loss eliminated the Brewers, as they became the first team to blow a lead in the 9th inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game since the Oakland Athletics in the 2014 American League Wild Card Game, and the first to blow a lead of multiple runs in the 9th inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game since the Washington Nationals in the 2012 National League Division Series. They have now lost their last 3 winner-take-all games despite holding a lead in all three games.

New York Mets

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This win advanced the Mets to the NLDS where they face off against the 2-seeded Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets won game 1 thanks to an 8th inning comeback, joining the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies and the 1999 New York Mets as the only teams to have back-to-back wins when trailing in the 8th inning or later in a postseason game. They almost made it three in a row in game 2 after a Mark Vientos home run to tie that game in the 9th, but they would later get walked off, tying the series at 1-1.

Pete Alonso

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Pete Alonso is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of this season.

Linescore

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Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York Mets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 5 0
Milwaukee Brewers 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 7 0
WP: Edwin Díaz (1-0)   LP: Devin Williams (0-1)
Home runs:
NYM: Pete Alonso (1)
MIL: Jake Bauers (1), Sal Frelick (1)

References

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  1. ^ "2023 Wild Card Series - Arizona Diamondbacks over Milwaukee Brewers (2-0)". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  2. ^ "Hoyer on hiring Counsell: 'He's at the very, very top of the game'". MLB.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  3. ^ "Corbin Burnes trade grades: Orioles get 'A' for landing ace, underwhelming return sticks Brewers with a 'C'". CBSSports.com. 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  4. ^ Pleskoff, Bernie. "MLB Scouting Report: Milwaukee Brewers'$82 Million Jackson Chourio". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  5. ^ a b "Experts predict 2024 division winners, WS champ". MLB.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  6. ^ "2024 Milwaukee Brewers Schedule". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  7. ^ "'Doubted' Brewers defy odds, win Central again". ESPN.com. 2024-09-18. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  8. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  9. ^ "Mets hold 'productive' team meeting after frustration boils over in series finale loss to Dodgers". sny.tv. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  10. ^ "The unlikely spark for the Mets' current winning streak? McDonald's mascot Grimace". ESPN.com. 2024-06-18. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  11. ^ a b "2024 New York Mets Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  12. ^ Britton, Tim; Ghiroli, Brittany. "Inside the Mets' revival: Grimace, OMG and a turnaround no one saw coming". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  13. ^ "2024 MLB Baseball Standings Grid - Major League Baseball - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  14. ^ "2024 MLB Scores, Standings, Box Scores for Sunday, September 29, 2024". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  15. ^ "Who moves on to October? What's at stake for Mets, Braves -- and D-backs?! -- in Monday's doubleheader". ESPN.com. 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  16. ^ "2024 MLB Scores, Standings, Box Scores for Saturday, August 31, 2024". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  17. ^ "Hoskins slide adds early spice to Brewers-Mets". ESPN.com. 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  18. ^ Jomboy Media (2024-10-01). Willy Adames tells Jesse Winker to meet him in the parking lot, a breakdown. Retrieved 2024-10-05 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ "2024 National League Wild Card Series (NLWC) Game 1, New York Mets vs Milwaukee Brewers: October 1, 2024". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  20. ^ "The Brewers' Jackson Chourio makes history with two home runs in Game 2 - Ponshu". 2024-10-03. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  21. ^ "2024 National League Wild Card Series (NLWC) Game 2, New York Mets vs Milwaukee Brewers: October 2, 2024". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  22. ^ a b c d "2024 National League Wild Card Series (NLWC) Game 3, New York Mets vs Milwaukee Brewers: October 3, 2024". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  23. ^ "Most Home Runs In An MLB Rookie Season". StatMuse. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  24. ^ "Pete Alonso Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  25. ^ a b MLB (2024-10-03). ICE COLD! A HUGE HOMER FOR POSTSEASON PETE ALONSO! ❄️🐻‍❄️. Retrieved 2024-10-05 – via YouTube.
  26. ^ "Wild Stat Shows Pete Alonso's Game-Clinching Homer Stands Alone in MLB Playoff History". SI. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  27. ^ "Brooklyn Dodgers vs New York Giants Box Score: October 3, 1951". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  28. ^ a b "LISTEN: Mets, Brewers radio calls of Pete Alonso's ninth-inning home run". Yahoo Sports. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
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