The New York Mets sit atop the NL East in large part because of the bat of Pete Alonso. The Mets first baseman has been sensational through the first two months of the season, but any player will have moments he wants back across a 162-game season. Unfortunately for Alonso, he had one on a national broadcast against the crosstown rival New York Yankees in the Bronx on Sunday night.
With runners at second and third and just one out in the bottom of the eighth, Alonso fielded a ground ball hit by Jordan Vivas, and looked to get the out at home, as Jasson Dominguez charged to the plate to try and put the Yankees up 3–2. He should’ve had a chance at the out, but sailed the throw well over the head of catcher Francisco Alvarez, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
The dam broke for the Mets after Alonso’s costly error. Paul Goldschmidt extended the lead to 4–2 on a base hit, moving Vivas to second and Trent Grisham walked to load the bases. While reliever Genesis Cabrera was able to strike out Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger made the Mets pay, belting a grand slam to right field to put the game out of reach at 8–2.
While Alonso doesn’t deserve all of the blame for the loss, his error began a cascading effect that turned a tight game into a late laugher in the Bronx. After the game, he took full blame for the loss.
“I messed it up,” Alonso said “… I just made an awful throw. That whole inning, this game, it’s on me. After that throw the momentum got out of hand and they had really good at-bats and this one’s on me.”
Alonso has never been known for his defense, but his bat has put him in early MVP conversations after he signed a prove-it deal over the offseason following a disappointing 2024. He’s been an integral part of far more Mets wins than losses this season.
New York’s National League club will look to shake off a tough night in the Bronx as they travel up to Boston to face the Red Sox on Monday night. The Yankees host the Texas Rangers in a series beginning Tuesday.
