Pete Alonso became acquainted with the nosebleed seats on Thursday.
The Mets first baseman continued his second-half rampage with a solo shot into Citi Field’s third deck in left field, putting him on a short list that includes Yoenis Cespedes and Aaron Judge among players who have reached that landing spot. The blast came in the fifth inning against Drew Smyly in the Mets’ 6-3 loss to the Braves.
Alonso hit a shot off the facing of the third deck against the Cardinals’ Michael Wacha in 2019. This latest blast traveled an estimated 453 feet, according to Statcast, Alonso’s longest of the season.
In 14 games since the All-Star break, Alonso has homered six times.
“I feel like my tempo and my timing is great right now and I feel like that is a huge contributor,” Alonso said. “And also watching video, having a game plan, I feel like I have a really strong game plan every single time. I have been nice, free and easy at the dish and I feel like that has been the key to having good execution.”
Alonso leads MLB with 11 homers of 450 feet-plus since 2019, according to Statcast.
Jacob deGrom threw a light side session before the game, according to manager Luis Rojas, and will likely play catch on Friday. The Mets have not announced a timetable for deGrom’s return to the rotation, but last weekend a club source indicated “early August” was the probability provided deGrom didn’t incur a setback. The Mets ace has been on the injured list for almost two weeks with tightness in his right forearm.
Jeff McNeil was absent from the starting lineup as a precaution following the night game. The Mets have been vigilant about McNeil’s left hamstring after a stretch last week in which he was sidelined with “fatigue” in the leg. McNeil is expected back in the starting lineup on Friday.
Akeem Bostick threw a scoreless ninth inning in his major league debut. The right-hander became the 56th player used by the Mets this season, tying a franchise record. The 2018 Mets also used 56 players.
Brandon Drury singled in each of his first two plate appearances, giving him eight straight at-bats with a hit before he grounded out in the sixth. The Mets’ record is nine straight at-bats with a hit.