There was a lot going on at Citi Field on Sunday night for the Mets’ final home game of the regular season.
Pete Alonso received two standing ovations for what may be his last Citi Field game in a Mets jersey.
43,139 Mets fans filled the stadium, the club’s second consecutive sold-out game.
Most importantly, the Mets continued their march into the postseason with a 2-1 win, denying the Phillies a chance to win the NL East title for the second year in a row.
Brandon Nimmo’s first batter, a first-pitch home run against Zack Wheeler in the sixth inning, broke a 1-1 tie and the Mets improved their September record to 15-5, the best in the MLB.
The Mets’ 87-69 win put them in a tie for the second wild-card spot with Arizona, which has the same record. The Mets have the tiebreaker because of their 4-3 record against the reigning NL champions.
If the season ended today, the Mets would travel to San Diego for a wild-card series and play all three games at Petco Park if necessary.
The Mets and Diamondbacks are three games behind the Padres in the battle for the first wild card spot with six games remaining.
The Mets and Diamondbacks are two games ahead of Atlanta. The Mets open a three-game series at Atlanta on Tuesday before finishing the regular season at Milwaukee.
If the Mets win at least two of three games against Atlanta, they will secure a spot in the playoffs.
The Mets won on Sunday despite only four innings of starter Tylor Megill, who allowed one run on an RBI single by Alec Bohm with two outs in the first inning. Megill threw 28 pitches to get through the first and 83 pitches overall.
The Mets tied the game in the second inning with a two-out double by Mark Vientos and an RBI single by Tyrone Taylor.
Carlos Mendoza used his relievers aggressively all night. Phil Maton replaced Megill in the fifth inning against the big hitters and threw two perfect innings. Jose Butto managed two strikeouts in the perfect seventh inning.
In the eighth, when the top of the order was up, Mendoza called on Edwin Diaz to save six outs. Diaz had 1 1⁄3 innings on Saturday to record his 19th save in the Mets’ 6-3 victory.
“We’ve protected him all year,” Mendoza said. “And now it’s time for him to become a big boy.”
Diaz allowed a one-out single by Trea Turner but struck out Bryce Harper. Turner stole second and third base, but Diaz put Bohm out of action with an inning-ending grounder to shortstop.
In the ninth inning, Diaz walked Bryson Stott with one out. Stott stole second and third base when JT Realmuto struck out. Diaz then walked Brandon Marsh on four pitches.
That brought Kody Clemens – Roger’s son – into the game, who had entered the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning.
Mendoza visited Diaz on the mound before the final batting inning.
“He told me, ‘You’re the right guy here. We need you,'” Diaz said. “‘Finish them off.'”
Marsh stole second base when Clemens broke an 0-and-1 pitch. The Mets let him do it.
Two pitches later, Diaz struck out Clemens and ended the game.
There was a commotion at Citi Field.
“Incredible,” said Mendoza. “Playoff atmosphere. The crowd is there for every pitch, every inning, every play and every at-bat.”
Alonso, who was a free agent after the season, was greeted with a standing ovation before his first batting appearance in the first inning. The homegrown Mets first baseman removed his batting helmet and touched it to his heart. The crowd chanted “Pete Alonso” throughout the batting appearance, which ended with a strikeout.
“For me, this is like something out of a storybook,” said Alonso. “It’s really remarkable to be able to see and feel this reaction and appreciation in such a full house.”
Alonso (0-for-4, three strikeouts) also received a standing ovation, and his name was called in the eighth inning when he groundballed and forced out.
Was it Alonso’s last home game as a Met? Not if he re-signs with the Mets in the offseason. Not if the Mets clinch the first wild-card spot and host a first-round series. Not if the Mets win a wild-card road series and make the Division Series.
But it could have been.
Before the game, Alonso said the issue was not on his mind. He wore a Mets cap with the logo on the side that read “Outta Here Original.” That was a reference to home runs, though, and not a subtle sign that Alonso plans to leave Flushing.
“Today is about the 2024 Mets,” Alonso said. “We’ve been playing excellent baseball for a very long time. People will think of the 2024 Mets and say ‘Oh my God’ or ‘Grimace.’ But the only word that comes to mind when I think of the 2024 Mets is ‘resilient.’ We’ve earned the right to be in this position and to be part of this group has been really special.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has been with Newsday since August 31, 1998 and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
