‘Living the Dream’: Pete Alonso Powers the Mets Past the Nationals

WASHINGTON — When Pete Alonso, the Mets’ first baseman, collected his first hit as a major leaguer on opening day, his general manager, Brodie Van Wagenen, congratulated him, and encouraged him to do better than a soft single to center.

“For your next hit, make sure you get it on the barrel,” Van Wagenen said.

Alonso quickly complied, helping the Mets to an 11-8 victory against the Washington Nationals on Saturday in his second major league game.

Alonso, who won the starting job after spraying hits all over Florida during spring training, stroked a single to right field in his first at bat Saturday. He then blasted a Stephen Strasburg pitch over the center fielder’s head for a double. Mets fans in the left-field stands at Nationals Park started their traditional “Let’s Go Mets!” chant. Others added a new salute.

“Pete A-lon-so!” they said. “Pete A-lon-so!”

The chants continued in the eighth inning when Alonso launched another double, this time off the wall in right-center. His onslaught — 3 for 4 at the plate with two R.B.I. and another run scored — powered the Mets, who staved off a late rally.

Though the bullpen surrendered four unearned runs in the ninth inning, the Mets’ 14 hits proved the difference as they improved to 2-0.

“Our offense was fantastic today,” Mets Manager Mickey Callaway said. “It ended up we needed those last two innings of runs.”

Noah Syndergaard, the Mets’ starter, who pitched six innings but did not figure in the decision, found Alonso’s support welcome.

“Pistol Pete, the Polar Bear, trying to knock down outfield walls out there,” Syndergaard said. “Just a lot of fun to watch out there.”

Even when he walked in the seventh inning, Alonso eventually made contact. With Alonso on first, second baseman Robinson Cano pulled a pitch down the first-base line, where Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman caught the sharp grounder, stepped on first and fired the ball to shortstop Trea Turner, who caught it and tried to apply a tag to Alonso. Sliding in hard, Alonso broke up the double play.

“He was doing it all over the place,” third baseman J. D. Davis said.

Alonso was replaced by Dominic Smith in the bottom of the eighth, but his contributions were twofold. Though the Mets cited his defense as the reason he was not called up to Queens last September, he has proved adept at picking balls and applying tags. Against the Nationals, he handled a one-hop throw from shortstop Amed Rosario with aplomb and tagged out Victor Robles on a pickoff play from Syndergaard. He also managed to stay on the bag while stretching to receive a wide throw from Davis.

“Just trying to make a play for my pitcher,” Alonso said.

Callaway pointed to Alonso’s patient approach at the plate as the reason he was able to rip the ball to all fields. While left fielder Jeff McNeil continued to hit the ball well, catcher Wilson Ramos beat out an infield single and Rosario drew a timely walk, it was clear that the most effective Met on Saturday was Alonso.

“I’m living the dream right now,” he said. “Just having a blast.”

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