Alonso nears Mets home run milestone

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    DENVER — During the offseason, Pete Alonso re-signed with the New York Mets with a particular goal in mind: to become the franchise’s all-time leader in both home runs and multihomer games. On Sunday, he advanced one step closer to that achievement, launching two formidable two-run homers in a decisive 13-5 victory against the Colorado Rockies.

    Alonso’s performance allowed him to surpass Mets legend Darryl Strawberry in multihomer games, giving him a total of 23 such games in his career. The fearless first baseman also moved past David Wright to secure second place on the franchise’s career home run list with 243 homers, just nine short of toppling Strawberry’s record.

    Reflecting on his accomplishments, Alonso commented, “Honestly, it’s just one of those things where I can’t really be too involved in it. For me, I just want to win. Whatever happens, capitalize on certain pitches in the zone, then I’ll get my chance to do so by helping my team win. That’s always been the focus.”

    In what was a record-setting day, the Mets hit a season-high six home runs, helping them wrap up a successful 5-2 road trip. Alonso, who is back in form with six home runs and two multihomer games in June, has notably increased his batting average from .288 to .301 over the last eight games.

    Manager Carlos Mendoza praised Alonso saying, “There’s a lot to like about his bat right now. Just dominating pitches in the strike zone. That’s who he is. We know that the power’s always been there, but now we’re looking at a really good hitter.”

    Alonso wasn’t the sole star of the day; Juan Soto also had an outstanding game, reaching base in all six of his plate appearances with three hits and three walks. Soto became the first Met to achieve this feat since Alonso did it in August 2019. Mendoza noted, “It’s not easy to do at the big league level. You get six times at the plate and you find a way to get on base. Finally getting results, but I feel the at-bat quality has been there.”

    Alonso’s rise in the Mets’ record books began with his stunning rookie year, setting a major league record for first-year players with 53 home runs in 2019. Since then, he has consistently hit at least 34 homers every season and is on track to hit 41 this year.

    Teammate Jeff McNeil, who also hit two home runs on Sunday, remarked, “Pete’s been pretty incredible this year. He’s been locked in every single at-bat. Seems like in big situations he’s going to do some damage.”

    McNeil added, “It’s fun to watch and I feel like he’s putting on a show every time he’s at the ballpark.”