Pete Alonso sets Mets' first-half rookie homer record in win over Nationals

NEW YORK – Pete Alonso is a baseball whisperer.

With the Mets trailing by a run in the eighth inning Tuesday night, the slugging first baseman hit a towering drive to left that needed some persuasion to stay within the foul pole.

Alonso did what he could.

“I talked to it, ‘stay fair,’” Alonso said. “And it listened.”

That homer gave the Mets new life, and they ultimately best the Nationals, 6-5, on a walk-off infield single from shortstop Amed Rosario in the ninth.

Alonso’s 16th homer set the franchise record for most first-half homers by a rookie.

“That’s really humbling, and really cool,” Alonso said. “Not just that, all the success I’ve had justifies all the hard work I’ve put in to put myself in this position. Really grateful and humbled and thankful the Mets gave me a shot here from the get go.”

Alonso has established himself as a clutch performer through the first 47 games of his career, and Thursday night only added to his record-setting rookie year.

After Jeurys Familia allowed two runs to put the Mets behind, 5-4, in the eighth, Alonso came up against Nationals hard-throwing righty Tanner Rainey.

Rainey threw Alonso three straight 99-mph fastballs, and in a 1-2 count, he went to the well again. Alonso did not sit on a fastball, but knew he had to be short to the ball. Alonso had fouled off two of those previous fastballs.

“When I get into two strikes, it’s just pure one, and defensive mode. Mano-a-mano and I got to do whatever I can to foul a tough pitch off,” Alonso said. “Thankfully, that one leaked over the plate a little bit and I took a short swing and the ball went.”

It was clear that Alonso’s blast had the distance, and while he didn’t try to wave the ball fair like Carlton Fisk, Alonso watched it while he hopped toward first.

Third base umpire Paul Emmel immediately ruled it fair even though the ball landed to the left of the pole, and the call stood upon a crew challenge review.

The homer marked Alonso’s third this season while behind in the count.

“To me, looked like it was way fair when it crossed and then way foul after so it had to have been a hard call for the umpire,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “The wind was unbelievable up there it was blowing the ball all around.”

With that homer, Alonso continued his late-inning domination of relievers.

He’s now hitting .380 with 11 homers in the seventh inning or later, and 12 of his blasts have come against relievers.

It also marked a rare homer against a power pitcher with the bomb being only his second of the season. Alonso now has four homers against Washington this year.

“He’s a great player, he’s a home run hitter. I haven’t been on a team with a pure home run hitter in a long time. This guy is one of those, he’s one of those throwback, Mark McGwire type guys,” Callaway said. “He’s unbelievable and he comes to play every day. He’s an unbelievable leader. He’s got what it takes.”

After the game, Alonso answered questions from the media and then pulled out his trusty notebook to jot down some notes.

That notebook is where he writes down his thoughts from that day’s game, little tidbits he picks up from his battles that may help him down the line.

There’s no reason to stop now, especially with the way the rookie has saved the Mets plenty of times this year, just like he did Tuesday night.

“Today was a hell of a win,” Alonso said. “Lots of contributions from everybody.”