The Polar Bear extended praise to his teammates in Baltimore's 7-5 extra-innings victory on Tuesday that saw him hit his 300th career home run.
This week has been very bittersweet for the Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso with him making his return to Citi Field, the ballpark he and his family once called home while he spent the first seven seasons of his playing career with the New York Mets.
Alonso would have a full circle moment when both teams faced off on Tuesday night, launching his 300th career home run during the ninth inning to tie it at 3-3 and spark the momentum Baltimore needed to take the series with a 7-5 extra-innings win.
In spite of the milestone, the 31-year-old first baseman has gone about it in a different way, focusing on the team and praising his fellow Orioles for an all-around effort.
"There's a lot of history here with me and honestly it doesn't matter where and when," he told reporters. "I just want to help the team win every day. For us to come back the way we did, the bullpen just did an unbelievable job after Shane [Baz] came out of the game and defense was great. We had really critical at-bats, so it was a really good baseball game for us."
Alonso's former club struck early in the first when Jared Young brought home star Juan Soto with a sacrifice fly while Christian Encarnacion-Strand answered back in the second with a solo shot to left-center field. Jeremiah Jackson went yard as well, giving Baltimore the lead.
The Mets kept fighting as Soto drove in A.J. Ewing with a one-run single and Carson Benge put them back ahead during the third with a solo blast to right field. Baz limited the damage to finish his four-inning start having recorded two strikeouts on the night.
Furthermore, Baltimore's bullpen proved effective in holding the fort, allowing Encarnacion-Strand to take back the lead in the 10th after Alonso's big hit.
However, Marcus Semien had other plans, scoring Benge with an RBI double to even the matchup once again.
Coby Mayo came through when it mattered most during the 11th. With two men on, he delivered with an inside-the-park home run to seal the Mets' fate even as Bo Bichette attempted a final effort with an RBI single that scored Francisco Álvarez.
With the win, Alonso continues to lead the Orioles' lineup with a .267 hitting average, 152 hits, 101 RBI and 36 home runs. Meanwhile, Baz has now compiled a 4.11 ERA and 152 strikeouts through 173 innings pitched this season.
The Orioles are also just a few games back of the final AL Wild Card spot that is currently occupied by the Cleveland Guardians, making Alonso's bat especially crucial down the stretch as the regular season comes to a close later this month.
Alonso should get his next opportunity to shine tonight as Baltimore has their sights set on securing the sweep over the Mets with veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt taking the mound.
