NEW YORK -- For the Mets, the frustration of a season’s worth of plunkings is beginning to rise to the surface.
Benches cleared on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field after Pirates pitcher Johan Oviedo hit Pete Alonso with a pitch in the first inning of the Mets' 7-3 win. It marked the fifth time a Mets batter had been hit over a six-inning span in this series, and the MLB-high 102nd time a Mets batter had been struck this season. The Mets are three away from matching the 2021 Reds for the modern Major League record (since 1900).
Multiple Mets have suffered injuries as a result, including Starling Marte, who has not played since fracturing his right middle finger when he was hit by a pitch against the Pirates on Sept. 6.
“I can go back through every one of the 100-plus, and I’d be hard-pressed to find one I thought was intentional, and I’ve got a pretty good eye for that,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said on Saturday night. “That’s what’s frustrating. … It’s not a record you want to break.”
When Alonso was hit with a man on base in the first inning Sunday, he and Oviedo exchanged words as both benches and bullpens emptied. Umpires quickly restored order before the situation became any messier. Warnings were issued to both teams.
"We've got to play the game hard, but at the same time, we've got to protect ourselves," Alonso said.
Against Oviedo in the second inning, Alonso got some revenge by tapping the ball the other way and notching an RBI fielder's choice.