NY Mets: Luisangel Acuna gets BP before his first home start at Citi Field
Luisangel Acuna was scheduled to make his first home start as a member of the Mets on September 17, 2024 at Citi Field.
NEW YORK — As the sellout crowd at Citi Field stood for Pete Alonso’s first at-bat Sunday night, home plate umpire John Lipka waited for the Mets first baseman to bat.
“Hey, are you going to do something?” Lipka asked Alonso, who was focused on his approach against Zack Wheeler of the Phillies.
“Do you want to take your hat off or something? I can give you time right here.”
It gave Alonso the opportunity to enjoy the moment.
As Alonso played what could be his final home game as a member of the Mets at Citi Field, the crowd erupted in cheers and applauded the homegrown All-Star. The 29-year-old Alonso, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, received a standing ovation with every at-bat.
And before his first appearance at bat, Alonso took off his batting helmet in front of the fans who have followed him every step of his six-year major league career, including 226 home runs and four All-Star nominations.
“It was really special. For me, it was like something out of a storybook,” said Alonso. “It was really remarkable to be able to see and feel that reaction from such a packed house. You hear or read about it or see it in movies, but for me it was really special.”
Alonso was hailed all night long with chants of “Peeeete” and “Pete A-lon-so!” Signs could be seen throughout the crowd, ranging from “Polar bear, please stay!” to “We ♥ Pete.”
Alonso, his teammates and coaches felt the support during the Mets’ final regular-season home game. Alonso finished the game 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, but also robbed Bryson Stott of a hit with a nifty pike stop to right for the final out of the sixth inning.
“Pretty incredible. That’s what it’s all about,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of the reaction. “That’s what makes this city and our fan base, the Mets fans, so special. I had goosebumps when that happened.”
Over the past week, Mendoza has repeatedly said he believes Sunday will not be the Mets’ last home game of the 2024 season. With a 2-1 win over the Phillies, the Mets moved into the National League’s second wild-card spot, tied with the Diamondbacks and two games ahead of the Braves, who are the first team eliminated.
The team is confident heading into the final week, which includes three road games against the Braves and Brewers. And right now, Alonso isn’t focused on what could be his final games in a Mets uniform. He’s determined to lead the Mets into the postseason.
“We’ve really created a wonderful opportunity for ourselves and it’s an honor to play with this team, to play with these guys and to play for this franchise,” Alonso said before the game. “It’s amazing to put on the orange and blue every day. And I love it. I’m excited.”
“We’re playing meaningful baseball. That’s what we’ve wanted to do all offseason. That’s what we’ve been preparing for all year and now it’s here. And now we have to do it.”
Sunday may not be the last time Alonso steps onto the Citi Field field as a member of the Mets, but their fans have been clamoring for the first baseman to return when the time comes.
