Pete Alonso’s legend is growing in spite of the Mets’ mediocrity

SAN DIEGO — Amazing season? No, not in the traditional sense for these Mets.

Amazing player, though? As the calendar’s pages turn, so grows Pete Alonso’s legend.

The Mets’ torturous losing streak ended at four games Tuesday night at Petco Park because their boisterous rookie, who had departed work the previous night declaring this one “a must,’ backed up his words with his actions. Alonso’s mammoth, ninth-inning homer off former Yankee Adam Warren broke a tie and gave the Mets an eventual 7-6 victory over the Padres.

If these 2019 Mets aren’t legitimate, their first baseman sure is.

“That was amazing,” said Brandon Nimmo, who stopped an 0-for-28 funk with a game-tying double in the seventh.” It’s really tough, especially with the controversy that went on yesterday to bounce back, and so good for him. He’s such a special player and has special power, and obviously (he) put it on display tonight.

“But that was a lot of mental toughness by him, the ability to wash the day before and come back ready to go today.”

Monday night’s theatrics were wacky, the Padres’ rookie pitcher Chris Paddack working himself into a lather because he lost out to Alonso for National League Rookie of the Month honors, an award voted on by media members who generally fill out ballots while eating ice cream, or playing Tetris, or both. Paddack told local media beforehand of how badly he wanted to best Alonso, and then he followed through on it, striking out the Mets’ first baseman twice and retiring him on a grounder to third. That prompted a distraught-looking Alonso to slap the “Must” label on Tuesday’s follow-up.

Holy cow, did Alonso take that vow seriously. He drove home Amed Rosario from third base with a first-inning single off Padres starter Cal Quantrill, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. He singled home Jeff McNeil from third to push ahead the first of three runs in a rally that allowed the Mets to crawl out of a 5-2 hole.

And finally, in the ninth, with none out and Robinson Cano on second base, he destroyed a 2-and-2 Warren fastball 449 feet off the Western Metal Supply Building in left field, his 11th homer breaking a 5-5 tie and prompting Padres superstar Manny Machado to joke to him, “Is that all you got?”

“I blacked out for a little bit,” Alonso said, smiling. “I just remember touching home. I don’t even remember rounding the bases.” He botched the bat flip somewhat, the bat sticking to the pine tar on his hands and flying awkwardly, but hey, no one’s perfect.

“He’s a dangerous hitter,” Mickey Callaway said of Alonso. “You feel like something dangerous is going to happen. And it did tonight.”

The Mets face too many roster questions to think that this win will spark them into something spectacular. What Alonso can do, is keep this season spicy. Prevent it from tumbling into complete irrelevance.

“To come up clutch for the boys today was awesome,” Alonso said, and goodness, how less awesome would this 2019 Mets season be without their Polar Bear?

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