Alonso sets Mets HR mark before Bickford's clutch save
Mets slugger becomes first player in franchise history with at least 35 HRs in four seasons
Bill Ladson
@ladsonbill24NEW YORK -- Where would the Mets be without Pete Alonso?these days?
New York's All-Star first baseman has been on fire the past few weeks, hitting .338 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs in his past 18 games. His 35th home run of the season, off Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks in the fourth inning, tied the game and spurred the Mets to a 4-3 victory at Citi Field on Wednesday night.
¡°I¡¯m seeing the ball super well and being super balanced,¡± Alonso said. ¡°I¡¯m keeping movements to a minimum and just being super accurate to the baseball. I have a good attack plan. Obviously I do the best I can to study and research my opponent. Tonight¡¯s game plan worked pretty well."
That was quite an understatement. Alonso showed once again that he loves Cubs pitching, homering off Chicago for the fourth time in three days during a victorious night that was capped by Phil Bickford's clutch save. It was Alonso¡¯s ninth and 10th RBIs of the three-game series.
The homer helped Alonso become the first member of the franchise to have four seasons with at least 35 home runs, breaking a record he set along with Darryl Strawberry, Dave Kingman, Howard Johnson and Mike Piazza.
Alonso didn¡¯t know that he had the record until being told after the game.
¡°It¡¯s exciting, but every single day, I just go out there and just do the best I can to help this team win,¡± Alonso said.
The way things are going at the plate, Alonso is likely going to put up similar numbers to what he's displayed over the past five years. Despite that projection, his goal remains to hoist a World Series trophy.
¡°There are going to be bumps in the road. There is going to be adversity every season,¡± Alonso said. ¡°The destination is always the same. At the beginning of the year, you always want to do what you can. Help get the team to the playoffs and, once you are in the playoffs, win, survive and advance.
"Right now, we are not mathematically out of it. I know odds are against it, but I¡¯m still planning to win, still showing up and doing the best that I can.¡±
It initially looked like Alonso and the Mets were on their way to another heartbreaking loss, were it not for Bickford coming in to save the day.
Up by two runs in the ninth, Mets manager Buck Showalter went to Adam Ottavino to close it out, but the right-hander had nothing in the tank. Seiya Suzuki led off with a home run to make it a one-run game. After Jeimer Candelario singled and Mike Tauchman reached base on a walk, Ottavino was taken out of the game in favor of Bickford.
¡°Otto is capable of doing that job [in the ninth inning],¡± Showalter said. ¡°It¡¯s that time of year. It¡¯s August. Sometimes guys are not carrying exactly what they normally carry.¡±
In came Bickford -- who hasn¡¯t saved a game since 2021 when he was with the Dodgers -- to put forth his best outing of the season. Pinch-hitter Nick Madrigal advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Then Bickford struck out Christopher Morel before walking Nico Hoerner to load the bases. Ian Happ stepped to the plate and struck out on a four-seam fastball that was clocked at 93.6 mph. Bickford said that he was focused on throwing strikes.
¡°You always have to be ready, honestly,¡± he said. ¡°When I heard it was my name, it was nice that I got up the inning before. It made warming up easier and I was ready for the opportunity. ¡ I did everything I could to help the team win.¡±