Pete Alonso received a raucous standing ovation from Mets fans when he clubbed a game-tying home run in the ninth inning to secure his 300th career homer, and keep his team's fading playoff hopes alive.
That team, of course, is the Baltimore Orioles, not the New York Mets.
Still, the Citi Field crowd saluted its former homegrown star as it has since Monday's series opener. This time, the cheering did not die down until Alonso emerged from the third base dugout and saluted the fans with a curtain call, not a sight seen frequently in baseball. A visiting player, responsible for the home team blowing a ninth-inning lead, saluting the opposing crowd.
Of course, this was not a typical circumstance, and while Mets pitcher Sean Manaea understood the uniqueness of Alonso's return to Queens, he still seemingly took some issue with the joyous response from Mets fans when their team had just lost a ninth-inning lead, and eventually lost the game.
"I know how much he means to this organization and this city...I love him," Manaea said. "Congrats to him, 300 home runs, super happy for him. But it's just crazy how things kind of unfolded. I have respect for him and I love him to death, but as the 2026 Mets, I know we've definitely underperformed, but the guys in here work their ass off every single day. To have that kind of reaction to an opposing player is crazy to me.
"Again, I have nothing but respect for Pete, but I've just seen anything like that before. I know the guys in here, we are grinding our butts off and stuff like that happens, but yeah, I've never seen anything like that."
Manaea and his teammates will likely have to deal with this atmosphere for another night, as the Orioles and Alonso remain in town for the series finale on Wednesday night, the last time he will visit Citi Field this year.
"To have that reaction to an opposing player is crazy to me"
"To have that reaction to an opposing player is crazy to me"
