Pete Alonso’s time for Mets heroism is now

MILWAUKEE — There is nothing quite like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, getting a glimpse of land when you are awash at sea, seeing the food at the table — near but still an arm’s length away.

The Mets were so devilishly close to doing what had been done in the AL, where a pair of road underdogs — Detroit and Kansas City — had gone into Houston and Baltimore and swept two games and upset their way into the Division Series.

That was earlier in the day on Wednesday. And here at night the Mets were out-Brewering the Brewers. Milwaukee won the NL Central behind defense, baserunning and bullpen. And for nearly two games, the Mets were better in every one of those phases.

The key element in that previous sentence: nearly.

The Mets spent most of Game 2 leading. It was 3-2 in the eighth. There was the light on the way to Philadelphia. There was the glimpse of land to the Division Series. There was the food — to be washed down with a lot of champagne.

But Carlos Mendoza turned away from Ryne Stanek after he had dominated an inning in Game 2 as much as he had in Game 1. That was the seventh. And he turned to Phil Maton to try to hold the lead in the eighth. Instead, Jackson Chourio, who had led off the first inning against Sean Manaea by becoming the youngest player at 20 years, 205 days old to homer in the postseason since Bryce Harper, at 19 in 2012, homered again, to lead off the eighth.

It was tied. And if there were a sign of veering magic in this series, it was that Garrett Mitchell, put in as a pinch runner for DH Gary Sanchez two innings earlier, hit a winning two-run homer off Maton. That made the final, 5-3. It means there will be a decisive Game 3 on Wednesday night.

It means the Mets are going to need some heroes.

It means Jose Quintana will have to, at minimum, keep the Mets in it early. And that Starling Marte, who has played so well in the first two games, needs another. And, yeah, is there more brilliance on the end of the bat of Francisco Lindor because his glove remains impeccable. And if the ball gets to him, Edwin Diaz cannot falter with the Mets season on the line.

But more and more, I keep returning to one name: Pete Alonso.

Is this really how what might be his last season — and days — as a Met are really going to go? With him so bereft of big hits in his walk year. In a season when a big hit or two could have kept the Mets out of the excruciating baseball dungeon that was the last few days of the season. And now when one might be able to get them to Philadelphia for the Division Series.

Alonso is here for those kind of hits, that kind of might. Instead, he has spent this last critical week a version of Mark Grace, playing better at first than perhaps any other time in his career and taking a walk or plunking a single. But there simply has been nothing game-changing coming from him.

It is very possible the biggest hit of Alonso’s 2024 season came on April 4 when he homered off Detroit’s Alex Faedo leading off the ninth inning to tie the score 1-1 in a game the Mets would win 2-1. It was the Mets’ first victory of 2024, and for Mendoza after five straight losses.

But that was April 4. Alonso’s five biggest hits by win probability added — which measures the clutch value of every at-bat — all came in the first half of the season.

He hit just .232 with runners in scoring position. He had 34 homers. Really, name five big ones. This was a year in which Alonso could have built up his value — to the industry and further to the fan base to scream not to let him leave Flushing.

Alonso still has that chance. There will be at least three and possibly more at-bats on Wednesday night at American Family Field. They could be the last three or four of his Mets career. Or they could be part of a better legacy. They could be part of a case to stay. They could be a reason the Mets season does not end. They could be why the Mets get to Philadelphia on Saturday.

The Mets need heroes. There are a lot of candidates.

But are they really going to play a whole season without Alonso delivering a huge moment after April?