Pete Alonso received an emotional welcome back from New York Mets fans Tuesday, and the longtime first baseman had a simple reaction after seeing a tribute video at Citi Field.
The Mets honored Alonso during their series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, celebrating the former franchise star after his offseason departure. Alonso returned to Citi Field as a member of the Orioles.
Alonso watched the tribute before taking the field, then addressed the moment after Baltimore’s 2-1 win over New York.
The reunion came with Alonso sitting one home run away from an important career milestone. He entered the game with 299 career home runs and could not reach No. 300 against his former team.
Alonso went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. He is batting .269 with 35 home runs and 100 RBI through 150 games this season.
While Alonso did not provide the moment Mets fans may have hoped for, Gunnar Henderson delivered the biggest swing of the night for Baltimore.
Henderson broke a 1-1 tie with a solo home run in the eighth inning. He finished 1-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.
Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
The Orioles added another run later in the inning before holding on for the victory. Jonah Tong gave New York six innings with no earned runs and six strikeouts, but the Mets could not provide enough offense.
For Alonso, the focus now turns to his next opportunity to reach 300 career home runs. The milestone remains just one swing away.
More MLB Essentials
- Every MLB Team Payroll
- Best MLB Draft Steals of All Time
- Every MLB Lockout, Strike, and Work Stoppage
- MLB Dynasties: Most Dominant Teams Since 1969
- Best Place to Sit at an MLB Game, According to AI
- 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time
