Mets' Pete Alonso shrugs off cold, stays hot in win over Rays: 'Whatever I have in the tank, I spend it'
Even Polar Bears can catch a cold.
Pete Alonso hasn’t been feeling well over the last few days, but being under the weather didn’t stop him from delivering a huge series against the Tampa Bay Rays, as he homered three times, including a solo shot in Thursday’s 3-2 Mets win at Citi Field.
“I was thinking, could we find something that would keep him sick with lesser symptoms,” Buck Showalter joked after the game.
“I can play well when I’m not sick,” Alonso responded to reporters in the clubhouse.
Despite feeling less than 100 percent, Alonso went 1-for-3 with a walk on Thursday afternoon, with his fourth inning rocket of a home run breaking a 1-1 tie. His MLB-leading 16th home run of the game went 113 MPH off the bat and traveled 446 feet just to the left of the apple in center field.
Alonso also flew out to the warning track in right-center later in the game. Sick or not, there seemed to be no slowing Alonso down, as he helped the Mets come away with a three-game series win over the best team in baseball.
“Pete’s a competitive, driven guy. … They talk about leadership. Leadership is more than anything setting an example,” Showalter said. “Good leaders define reality. … Pete, from the first day I saw him, really likes answering the bell and the responsibilities that he has to be there for his team and organization.”
Showalter said that he was texting Alonso late Wednesday night, throwing out a few different ideas. Maybe Alonso could serve as the DH on Thursday. Maybe he could just have the day off to rest up.
And while Showalter wouldn’t go into detail on Pete’s response, it’s safe to say that Alonso made sure he was in the lineup and at first base for a crucial game, and one that very well could turn things around for a team that has underperformed to this point in the season.
“For me, if I’m out there I’m going to shoot my best bullet, always,” said Alonso. “I’ll always give it 100 percent. For me, I just don’t want me not feeling well to be an excuse for lack of performance.
“If I’m physically able to go, I’m always willing to go. … I’m always willing to push myself, and I take pride in being out there and playing every day. Like, I post up. That’s one thing that I really take pride in and that’s a characteristic that I want to keep throughout my whole career. That’s just who I am.”
Alonso and the Mets will be able to continue to enjoy some home cooking, as they stay at Citi Field for a three-game weekend series against the Cleveland Guardians.
Hopefully, Alonso is feeling closer to 100 percent by them. But even if he isn’t you can still probably expect to see. No. 20 at first base.
“Whatever I have in the tank,” he said, “I spend it.”
