MILWAUKEE — Pete Alonso lined a three-run homer to key a four-run ninth-inning rally and lift the New York Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday in the decisive third game of a National League wild-card series.
The sixth-seeded Mets will open the NL Division Series on Saturday in Philadelphia. The second-seeded Phillies won the NL East, finishing six games ahead of New York and the Atlanta Braves.
The NL Central champion Brewers lost their sixth consecutive playoff series since a sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the 2018 NLDS.
Francisco Lindor, who had the Mets’ only two hits through eight innings, walked to open the ninth against Brewers closer Devin Williams, who converted 14 of 15 save opportunities during the season and finished Milwaukee’s 5-3 win in Game 2. Brandon Nimmo singled with one out, and Alonso then sent a 3-1 pitch 367 feet to right-center.
“I was just looking for something out over the plate,” Alonso said. “Yeah, I just really wanted to hit something hard through the big part of the field. I’m really happy that I capitalized.
“I know Devin has great stuff. I’ve seen him pitch a ton. We were teammates in the (World Baseball Classic). He’s a tough AB. So, I’m just really happy I was able to capitalize on something out over the plate.”
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said, “You’ve got three players that are upper-echelon players in Lindor, Nimmo and Alonso, and they did what they do — a walk, a base hit, and an opposite-field homer. They did what they do.”
The Mets added a run when Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch with two outs, stole second, and scored on Starling Marte’s single to right.
David Peterson tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth, inducing a game-ending double play from Brice Turang for the first save of his career, regular season or postseason. Edwin Diaz (1-0) got the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Williams (0-1) gave up four runs on three hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.
“It was a great script for us,” Murphy said. “Devin has been as good a closer as there is in baseball for the 2 1/2 years that he’s played. He was injured most of this year. He’s been unbelievable. I’d give him the ballgame tomorrow in the same situation.”
Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick opened the seventh inning with back-to-back homers to snap a scoreless tie and put Milwaukee up 2-0.
After New York starter Jose Quintana blanked the Brewers on four hits through six innings, Jose Butto came on to start the seventh. Bauers, who hit .199 with 12 homers during the regular season, pinch-hit for Rhys Hoskins and sent a 3-2 pitch 405 feet to right.
Frelick, who had just two homers in the regular season, then jumped on the next pitch for a 408-foot shot to right.
“I keep saying it, man. We continue to believe,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “As a team, we’ve been punched and knocked down, and we continue to find ways to get back up. We got punched yesterday. We got punched again today in the seventh inning, and we found a way.”
Brewers right-hander Tobias Myers tossed five scoreless innings of two-hit ball. Trevor Megill, Nick Mears, and Game 1 starter Freddy Peralta each followed with a hitless inning before the Mets broke through against Williams.
Milwaukee stranded a runner in scoring position in four of the first five innings against Quintana, who struck out five and walked one in a 94-pitch outing.
Lindor doubled to open the first and singled in the third, the only Mets baserunner through the first four innings against Myers, who was a combined 1-15 with a 7.82 ERA at Triple-A with three different teams in 2022.
–Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media
