Pete Alonso knew it was gone as soon as it left the bat, and became a New York hero with one swing on Thursday.
With the New York Mets down to their final three outs, trailing the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 in a win-or-go-home Game 3, Alonso stepped to the plate with two men aboard and delivered with a moment all players dream about.
Alonso crushed a three-run shot over the right-field wall off Brewers closer Devin Williams to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. With the home run, Alonso became the first player in MLB post-season history to hit a go-ahead homer when their team was trailing in the 9th inning or later of a winner-take-all game, per Sportsnet Stats.
The Mets would add an insurance run and then hold on for a 4-2 win to advance to a National League divisional series matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies.
It was an “OMG” moment that fit perfectly for this Mets team, which has adopted the tradition of holding up a custom “OMG” sign after every home run in reference to a song by Mets infielder Jose Iglesias.
Alonso’s home run was October baseball at its finest, and the baseball world erupted accordingly. Here are some of the best reactions: