NEW YORK -- The moment for Pete Alonso’s 300th career home run couldn’t have been much better.
“It was like a movie,” Orioles right-hander Shane Baz said.
Except not even Hollywood could have come up with this script for the milestone, which occurred in the type of special way that only baseball is capable of providing.
After playing as a visitor at Citi Field for the first time on Monday night, Alonso kept the homecoming festivities going by blasting his 300th MLB homer on Tuesday -- a game-tying solo shot off New York right-hander Kodai Senga in the ninth inning of the O’s eventual 7-5, 11-inning win over the Mets. It was the 36th home run of the 31-year-old first baseman’s first season with Baltimore, which signed him to a five-year, $155 million deal last December.
“There’s a lot of history here with me, and honestly, it doesn't matter where and when. I just want to help the team win,” Alonso said. “No. 300, it's a nice round number. But I’m just so proud of this group. The way we fought today, it’s an unbelievable team win.”
The moments immediately after Alonso’s Statcast-projected 414-foot shot cleared the left-center-field wall were even more memorable than the homer itself.
The fans in Flushing roared as Alonso took his bat and chucked it toward his teammates in the third-base dugout. He rounded the bases to an ovation that only grew louder by the time he touched home plate and returned to celebrate with his club.
At that point, there was only one option: a curtain call. And the rest of the Orioles knew it, encouraging Alonso to go up the steps and tip his cap to the supporters who backed him for the first seven years of his big league career.
“I haven’t really seen a curtain call from a guy wearing gray pants, so that was kind of cool,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “The dugout was fired up for Pete, for a lot of different reasons. So it was cool to get an acknowledgement from the fans.”
The reception has been overwhelmingly warm for Alonso for two consecutive days. He was a fan favorite in New York while also becoming the Mets’ all-time home run leader during his run with the team (264 in 1,008 games).
On Monday, Alonso’s name was chanted after the national anthem, then again when he took the field for warmups. A tribute video was played prior to first pitch, as Alonso tipped his cap to the fans and returned the appreciation. He did so again in the top of the first inning, when he stepped to the plate for his first at-bat amid loud cheers and chants.
Alonso’s 300th career home run was his 124th at Citi Field, but the first of those to not come while wearing a Mets uniform -- though you certainly couldn’t tell by that reaction that he was an opposing player.
“I've firsthand watched him be a tremendous hitter for many years. The crowd reaction, you can really tell that he was loved by this fan base,” Senga said through an interpreter. "I couldn't even hear the PitchCom right after. He's just a great hitter. There's not much to say other than that."
For Alonso, the reaction to his return has made for a special week.
“I appreciate all the support, especially for all the years I’ve been here, all the life I’ve lived here,” Alonso said. “Obviously they're recognizing that and they appreciate that, and it's a two-way street. I really appreciate it.”
Alonso became the 19th active player to reach 300 home runs. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he was the 20th player in AL/NL history to hit his 300th homer against his former club, a feat that had most recently been accomplished by Andrew McCutchen, whose 300th homer came for the Pirates against the Phillies on April 14, 2024.
The only players to hit more home runs than Alonso over their first eight MLB seasons were Ralph Kiner (329) and Albert Pujols (319).
“That’s why you sign a guy like Pete, to come up in that spot and hit a huge home run in a huge moment,” infielder Coby Mayo said. “It just speaks volumes of how good a player he is.”
“He’s such a freaking dog,” Baz added.
Alonso, however, again cared more about the team’s accomplishments than his own accolades. The Orioles (74-78) were victorious thanks to Mayo’s three-run inside-the-park home run in the 11th, and they remained three games behind the Guardians (77-75) for the third American League Wild Card spot with 10 still to play.
Never one to talk too much about himself -- even on a night like this, when he was the star of the show -- Alonso has different aspirations than reaching personal milestones.
“Honestly, it’s great because for us, we're in a postseason push right now,” Alonso said. “Doesn't matter who we’re playing, it’s really, really important coming down the stretch for us. We want to be in October, and all these games count.”