Pete Alonso came back to Citi Field last night and still left without his 300th home run. He hit a long fly ball to left field that hooked foul, later drew a walk, and stayed parked at 299 career homers as the Orioles beat the Mets 2-1.
That is why the game had an edge beyond the final score. Mets fans booed their own starter, Jonah Tong, after Alonso worked the walk, and the night turned on a milestone that kept slipping away even as the first baseman stood in the same ballpark where so much of his career has already happened.
Alonso said outside the Orioles’ clubhouse that it felt “a little weird,” but also familiar, because the building still carries the same memories for him. He added that he had lived a lot of life there and that it was exciting to be back and to see the people and players on the other side. That is the part of the night that makes the number matter: 299 is no longer an abstract count. It is one swing away, and it was close enough to hear the crowd react before the foul ball drifted out of play.
Gunnar Henderson ended the suspense for the Orioles with an eighth-inning home run, and that was enough to send Baltimore further into a late push in the Wild Card race. The Orioles moved within three games after the Guardians lost at home to the White Sox, and with 11 games left in the regular season, every result still carries weight.
The larger picture around Baltimore is still unsettled. Félix Bautista remains on the 60-day injured list after eight rehab games, and manager Tony Mansolino is still thinking through whether to push him. Samuel Basallo’s right shoulder is barking again, and he has gone 9-for-62 since returning from the injured list. He pinch-hit with the go-ahead run at second base and two outs in the seventh inning and flied out, then came back up with runners on the corners in the ninth and struck out.
For Alonso, the next step is simple even if the moment is not: the home run chase stays alive, and the same crowd that came expecting history will be waiting the next time he steps in at Citi Field.
