NEW YORK — Mets slugger Pete Alonso hinted that he was feeling good after finishing Friday’s game with three productive at-bats.
In Saturday’s 12-6 win over the San Francisco Giants, he certainly looked great, going 2-for-4 with two extra-base hits, including his 250th career home run.
He becomes only the second player in Mets history with at least 250 home runs.
The first: Darryl Strawberry with 252 home runs, the franchise record.
“It felt really special,” Alonso said. “I’m just really happy to help the team right there, especially in the first inning. I thought it set the tone really well.”
The home run, a 428-footer to center field, puts him two shy of Strawberry.
“(I’m) proud of him,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Not an easy number there. Especially in the first inning, kinda setting the tone. … He’s pretty good. We saw it yesterday
Alonso’s three-run home run scored left-fielder Brandon Nimmo and shorstop Francisco Lindor, giving the Mets a quick 3-0 lead. They’d hold the lead for the rest of the game, eventually snapping a three-game losing streak.
Nimmo has always been a strong critic of Citi Field in cold months when balls don’t carry as well. For this reason in particular, he finds Alonso’s home run chase to be impressive.
“He’s had such an amazing career here with so many milestones ahead of him,” Nimmo said. “So happy for him to reach that milestone, and he did it in Pete fashion — a no-doubter. He did it in a big moment for us.”
Lindor, who has 130 home runs in a Mets uniform, also spoke about his teammates’ natural power.
“Pete’s good. Pete’s great,” Lindor said with his usual wide smile. “He’s one of the best power hitters in the game. Home runs, for him, he makes them look easy. They’re not as easy as he makes them look.”
