A few of the milestones Pete Alonso reached Saturday afternoon:
- Broke a tie with David Wright and now has slugged 11 career home runs against the Yankees, the most in Mets history.
- With five more RBIs, reached 659 for his Mets career to move ahead of Mike Piazza for third in franchise history.
Of course, the most significant number for Alonso to attain this season remains in front of him, but his two home runs on the day brought him closer to Darryl Strawberry.
After a multihomer game that helped the Mets pull away from the Yankees, Alonso is up to 246 dingers for his career — six away from the all-time franchise record.
“I know it,” said Alonso, who has been asked about it frequently, “but I just want to help the team win. That’s really all I want to do.”
He did so again in the 12-6, Subway Series victory at Citi Field, which began with a Brandon Nimmo grand slam and continued with Alonso doing the bulk of the rest of the offensive damage.
When Alonso is at his best, he is ignoring pitches out of the strike zone and crushing the mistakes that are thrown.
In the first inning, he ignored five pitches from Carlos Rodón and happily took first base before Nimmo stepped up and pulled his blast to right.
After a seven-pitch battle that ended in a strikeout in the third, Alonso found a second-pitch, down-the-middle fastball from Rodón and did not miss it, smashing the home run to right-center in the fifth.
Two innings later, this time with Jayvien Sandridge on the mound, Alonso liked the first pitch he saw — another fastball — and demolished it to left for a three-run shot.
“He’s controlling the strike zone,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Alonso. “We know the power. We saw it today to the pull side, to right field. But not chasing [is helping].”
The Mets were hoping Kodai Senga would only require one rehab start.
After his first, he might require a second.
With Double-A Binghamton, Senga allowed four runs (three earned) in 3 ²/₃ innings in which he allowed six hits, walked two and struck out four. He threw 68 pitches and did not complete four innings, as hoped.
It is still possible the Mets ask Senga — who could throw 75-80 pitches in his next outing — to return next weekend at Kansas City, but they now face that decision.
Senga, Sean Manaea and Jesse Winker headline the crew of reinforcements getting close to helping the Mets, but Brooks Raley is approaching becoming an option, too.
The lefty tossed another scoreless inning with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. In six games since his rehab assignment began June 17, he has totaled 6 ²/₃ innings in which he has allowed five hits and no runs, walked one and struck out 11.
The Mets, whose bullpen has lost lefties A.J. Minter and Danny Young plus strong righties in José Buttó, Dedniel Núñez and Max Kranick, could use that kind of production — but expect to wait until the other side of the All-Star break before summoning Raley.
The 37-year-old is recovering from May 2024 Tommy John surgery and stretching out slowly. Friday represented his first time pitching on one day’s rest. He has not yet gone back-to-back, which Mendoza said must happen before he is activated.
“He’s put himself in a good position,” Mendoza said of Raley, whom the Mets re-signed in April on a one-year deal that contains a club option for 2026. “He’s responding well, bouncing back well. Now we’re basically preparing him for potential scenarios with the way we want to use him here.”
Mendoza on Juan Soto’s sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second and no outs in the first inning: “That’s part of the show,” he said with a smile, and two batters later Nimmo launched the grand slam.
For the first time since being shut down with a right elbow sprain in mid-June, Tylor Megill threw Saturday.
“Feels good,” reported Megill, whose elbow inflammation has gone down.
The righty was not sure about his timetable, but he will need to be built up carefully after a nearly three-week shutdown.
“We’ll take our time, but hopefully not too long,” Megill said.
The Mets officially signed veteran righty reliever Zach Pop, who was active for the game.
Austin Warren, who pitched 1 ²/₃ innings Friday, was optioned to Syracuse. To make room for Pop on the 40-man roster, the Mets designated Tyler Zuber for assignment.
The Mets did not option Friday starter Justin Hagenman, who could receive a second major league start Thursday in Baltimore.
It is possible that Hagenman is needed in relief before then, but the Mets will need a starter Thursday after Brandon Waddell is expected to serve as the bulk pitcher Sunday — with Chris Devenski as the opener — Clay Holmes on Tuesday and David Peterson on Wednesday. The rehabbing Manaea and Senga can return, at earliest, the following series in Kansas City.
