My reaction to Pete Alonso’s home run in the moment Thursday night was pretty much the exact same as my reaction to Francisco Lindor’s home run Monday afternoon.

I think I said something like, “Come on.”

Followed by, “No way.”

Then there was loud rejoicing.

But my initial reaction - that ‘Come on’ and ‘No way’ - that’s disbelief.

Because it is so rare that the outcome you root for in games like those - trailing in your last at-bat, hoping for at least a tie and maybe a lead - is exactly what unfolds.

And in that moment every Mets fan is thinking, “Maybe this is where Pete Alonso finally gives us that big home run we’ve all been waiting for.”

And he did.

I’ve written it in many places - the Mets have tried my patience this year.

The low point was definitely in late May - the team looked abysmal. There was no energy. It seemed like the group of players they had wasn’t going to amount to anything.

I was ready for them to break it all up, trade the pieces they could get value from, and build up to compete as early as 2025.

And it wasn’t just May. It was all of 2023. There was very little that was fun to watch last season.

And it dates back to the end of 2022. After a fun first five months of that season it all fell apart and became a miserable ending.

So, that was not where I expected to begin this post…but I think it’s important to understand just how cathartic it is to see the Mets do what they are doing right now. (I don’t need to mention most years before 2022. You know…The Mets don’t exactly have the most decorated history.)

Then June happens and the Mets fix every single thing that was wrong with them and play some of the best baseball I’ve ever seen them play.

And the only thing that wasn’t working was Pete Alonso.

I wrote it as recently as the live blog Wednesday night - I was losing faith in his ability to come up with the big hit for this team. His defense has been great. (Dropped pop-up in the 7th inning Thursday night notwithstanding.) He just had so many opportunities to come through big, and he kept coming up short.

But still, every time he came to the plate, knowing what he was capable of, as I mentioned above, you’d have to be crazy not to understand how dangerous he could be.

I admit to wondering about a long-term commitment…I have started to believe the experts who say he’s the type of player whose profile doesn’t age well…but he’s Pete Alonso. He came up through the Mets organization. You root like heck for him…and in no way did I believe he was washed up now.

So it was exhilarating to see the Mets come back from the dead - just like Monday, in their last at-bat, but unlike Monday (at least in Game 1 when Lindor homered), facing no tomorrow if they didn’t.

But it was also emotion on top of emotion to have Alonso put an end to all of the ‘When is he going to get that big home run?’ speculation and come through there.

And now it feels like he's just getting started.

Looking Ahead to the NLDS

I have to believe that’s what the Phillies are thinking. They’re going to be pitching Alonso very carefully, one would think. And one would also think this is not the outcome they would have preferred.

Game 1 looks on paper like a lopsided pitching matchup: Cy Young contender Zack Wheeler against (likely, though not officially announced, I don’t think) Tylor Megill. But if you’ve seen Megill pitch in the past couple of weeks you know it’s not as lopsided as that paper would have you believe.

This is where that layoff can affect a team like the Phillies: It’s not that they’ll be unready. I’m sure they’re going to be prepared and ready to play. It’s just that the Mets come into town as fired up as could be.

Couple that with the fact that the Mets most recently won 3 out of 4 at Citi Field, keeping the Phillies from celebrating the division title on their turf, and the Mets are a team that knows they can beat Philadelphia. Not many other National League teams can feel that way.

Heck, it was against the Phillies everything started to turn around when they played in London.

So it’s not going to be easy - what this season has been easy?

But if the Mets can survive the Game 1 Megill start (no disrespect to Megill - he’s earning my respect - it’s just if the Mets could have lined up the pitching the way they wanted, Megill would not have been the Game 1 starter), on Sunday they get Luis Severino on regular rest and then they can reset everything the way they want after the Monday day off.

And I like the way they stack up against Philadelphia, that’s all. Especially if they’re firing on every cylinder, including Alonso.

Other Notes and Finishing the Wild Card Recap

*I guess I was right in that this season was never destined to end in Milwaukee.

*I might have to put together a ranking of the greatest Mets playoff games of my lifetime. Just thinking about the walkoff wins - Todd Pratt, Robin Ventura, Mookie Wilson, Lenny Dykstra - and then just other great wins and performances…when they do make the playoffs a lot of special things happen.

*I try not to second-guess Carlos Mendoza because he has rarely made a wrong move all season. But I wasn’t sure about bringing in Edwin Diaz in the 7th inning. It turned out to be a great move because he stopped the bleeding, keeping the Mets in position to come back and win…but because I was hoping they would come back to win, I kept wondering who was going to close? I just assumed he was going to push Diaz all three innings. And then I got very nervous about David Peterson in a different spot for him. Everyone is coming up so huge though.

*Starling Marte adding the insurance RBI in the 9th - which was manufactured by Jesse Winker getting hit by a pitch, stealing second, and hustling home - was huge too. Marte is having a heck of a post-season.

*What in the world did Winker do to the people of Milwaukee? That booing was intense…even before the triple on Tuesday. I did some research about a month ago about his time in Seattle because that was so bad, but I didn’t catch wind of discord with the Brewers. It couldn’t have been that bad if David Stearns wanted him for his current team too. Glad we have that fire on our side. He is…quite a character.

*The Mets have had an interesting little revenge tour building. Clinching a playoff spot in Atlanta, ousting Milwaukee, a team that’s given them so many problems recently, and now on to Philadelphia in a much-discussed first-ever playoff matchup. I remember 2007 and 2008…I hope someone reminds the players for the fans.

*Thursday night’s win clinches me at least one playoff game in person. I was worried not going down in September (in an effort to save my legs for the marathon) was something I would regret if I didn’t get a playoff game. But I’ll be there for Game 3…and hopefully more in October. We’ll worry about the legs later.

*Did someone say marathon? I’m running the New York City Marathon for the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, and if you can make a donation at this link to help me meet my fundraising goal, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you very much. Saturday’s long run is 18 miles - we’re getting there. Less than a month!

*Not that you can’t get this information elsewhere, but FOX has the NLDS, and the Mets-Phillies series will be called by Adam Amin, AJ Pierzynski, and Adam Wainwright. I guess that’s fine. I’m not the biggest fan of that team but I also will take the John Smoltz respite.

*All in all the Jon Sciambi-Doug Glanville booth was very good. ESPN games as a production overall, though, I have some issues with. This is not the time nor place.

*My sister sent me pictures and videos from the watch party at Citi Field last night. That looked fun. I’m glad she went. I hope they keep doing that for at least some of the away games.

*I spent most of the 8th inning trying to come to terms with the end of the season. I was trying to appreciate the ride…but I just could not get over the fact that this team and their story was going to end. It was too good. But I was doing my best to not get too upset.

You can’t help but remember being swept in Seattle…the scoreless innings and hitless streaks…as exciting as the Mets have been they sometimes just go cold.

And then Alonso homered and I thought, “Yeah, that’s about right.”

Above all the 2024 Mets just keep responding to adversity.

It sure doesn’t feel like the ride is ending any time soon, but I think I will have an easier time coming to grips with the end when it comes because at least now they won a playoff series. (But you better believe I think they can win more.)

Let’s Go Mets.