Sean Manaea’s start ended with a difficult Citi Field backdrop Tuesday, as the Mets fell 7-5 to the Orioles in 11 innings while much of the ballpark celebrated a milestone homer by former Met Pete Alonso.
Mets players unsettled by Citi Field response to Alonso
The result
Alonso reached 300 career home runs with a ninth-inning shot off Kodai Senga, drawing a standing ovation, chants of his name and a curtain call from the Citi Field crowd. The Mets also posted a short congratulatory salute on the scoreboard.
The former Mets first baseman had already received a warm welcome over the first two nights of the series. Fans stood again when he came up in the 11th inning with an opportunity to put Baltimore ahead, and the Orioles eventually finished off the 7-5 extra-inning win.
The crowd’s enthusiasm for Alonso, who remains a beloved figure in Flushing, was not lost on Senga. He said he understood the connection between Alonso and the fans and did not take the homer personally, even though he allowed the historic blast.
Alonso thanked the fans for recognizing the years he spent with the Mets and the life he built in New York. He described the appreciation as mutual.
For the Mets clubhouse, however, the night carried an uncomfortable edge. Manaea said the reaction was unlike anything he had encountered, particularly with Mets players working through a frustrating season.
“The guys in this room are battling every day,” Manaea said. “To have that happening around the game was something I had never experienced. It was pretty wild.”
Manaea acknowledged Alonso’s standing in the city, but said the reality remains that Alonso is no longer on the Mets roster.
“Everybody knows how much people love Pete,” Manaea said. “He is a great player and a great guy. But he is not here anymore, and the response felt different.”
The series drew crowds of 35,800 and 28,097 for its first two games, with Alonso jerseys prominent throughout the stands.
A difficult balance for the Mets
Interim manager Andy Green said players must keep outside circumstances from affecting their work, while conceding that the situation can test that resolve.
Green said the Mets want an involved, energetic home crowd and appreciate support from the stands. At the same time, he said the players wearing Mets uniforms continue to give everything they have despite a season that has fallen short of expectations.
“We want our fans behind us, absolutely,” Green said. “But the players on that field are giving their full effort for this club. We understand we have not delivered the season people expected. Still, we will come back tomorrow trying to win a baseball game.”
The tension had surfaced a night earlier. Francisco Lindor was disappointed by the limited backing for Mets starter Jonah Tong during Monday’s series opener. Tong was booed at one point after walking Alonso.
Lindor said Mets pitchers deserved more support from their home crowd, even amid the affection for a returning franchise favorite.
Tuesday left the Mets with an 11-inning defeat, a milestone moment for Alonso and a clubhouse trying to separate the emotion of a reunion from the job of finishing the season.
SEO Title: Mets React After Pete Alonso’s 300th Homer at Citi Field
SEO Description: The Mets lost 7-5 to the Orioles in 11 innings as Pete Alonso hit his 300th career home run at Citi Field, drawing an emotional response from fans and frustration from Mets players.
