Game on the line. Down two runs. Staring down the barrel of elimination.
It’s the moment you simulate in your backyard as a little kid. The one you might get in a high school game or at a travel ball tournament, but it’s never happened before the big leagues.
On Thursday, New York Mets slugger [autotag]Pete Alonso[/autotag] crushed the first go-ahead home run while trailing in the ninth inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game.
The former Gator looked shocked rounding the bases after giving the Mets a 4-3 lead. So was everyone else in the stadium, including Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose — whose call might go down as legendary as the actual home run.
Alonso began the postseason in a 1-for-11 slump. With free agency looming, it looked like his Mets career was coming to an end in the most disappointing fashion.
Then, Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams hung a 3-1 changeup.
Alonso didn’t miss it. He sent a line drive screeching toward right field, with an exit velocity of 105 mph and a launch angle of 22 degrees. For those who are not well-versed in the world of batted-ball metrics, those two numbers mean he squared it up as much as possible.
Line drives don’t always clear the fence, though. Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick got to the wall at the same time as the ball, but it was just out of reach. Pandemonium ensued.
It’s one of the greatest moments in MLB postseason history, and it gave New York fans at least three more games with the man nicknamed “The Polar Bear.”
Alonso and the Mets face the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday at 4:08 p.m.
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