Alonso hits No. 300 against old club as Orioles outlast Mets in 11
Pete Alonso picked the loudest way to reach 300 career home runs. He hit it against his old team, to tie the game, in the ninth inning.
The Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Mets 7-5 in 11 innings on Tuesday night, Sept. 15, at Citi Field. Alonso started the comeback. Coby Mayo finished it. The Guardian
Alonso's milestone shot came in the top of the ninth. It was a solo drive off Kodai Senga. It traveled 414 feet to left-center and tied the score 3-3. It was his 36th homer of the season. MLB.com
The stakes were high for Baltimore. The Orioles were two outs from a loss. That loss would have dropped them four games behind Cleveland for the last American League playoff spot.
Mayo won it in the 11th with something even rarer. He hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run. That means the ball never left the field. He just circled all four bases before the Mets could get him out. It broke a tie and gave Baltimore a 7-4 lead. Field Level Media
The Mets scored once in the bottom of the 11th. It was not enough.
The loudest cheers of the night were for the visitor. Mets fans chanted Alonso's name after the tying homer until he came back out of the dugout to wave. Baseball calls that a curtain call.
Then the mood turned. Fans chanted "Fire Stearns" at Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. Stearns did not offer Alonso a long-term deal before Alonso left. Jorge Polanco was supposed to replace Alonso at first base for New York.
Alonso knows Citi Field well. He hit a club-record 264 homers for the Mets before signing with Baltimore last December. He got a two-minute tribute video on Monday night before Baltimore's 2-1 win in the series opener. Sean Manaea started Tuesday's game for the Mets.
He also got his souvenir back. Three fans teamed up to catch No. 300. They were Michael Shaw, Nick Maldarella and Chris Makarius. Alonso signed a bat and a ball for each of them. He also offered tickets and batting-practice access at Camden Yards next season.
Players on both sides felt the moment. Orioles right-hander Shane Baz called it "like a movie." Manaea said afterward he could not believe the crowd's reaction as Mets fans cheered Alonso like he still played for the home team. MLB.com
What makes this stand out is how both parts landed at once. Baltimore kept its playoff chase alive. New York watched its former slugger make history in its own park. The scorebook says Orioles 7, Mets 5. The sound said something else.
