The sound of the bat left no doubt: If Pete Alonso can shake off his recent slump and show his Polar Bear fangs once again, we all know he can carry the Mets.
Alonso (5 RBI) had one RBI, no home run, two hits in 23 at-bats and one extra base hit in his previous eight games, but he smashed a three-run homer to left field off Dylan Cease in the first inning to lead the Mets to an 11-6 win over the Padres on Father’s Day for their third straight victory.
The Mets nearly died too soon, but they overcame a bullpen collapse in the bottom of the eighth and are now on a five-game winning streak and have won nine of 11 games to sit 1 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot.
“We’re going to keep winning until the end,” Carlos Mendoza said before the game. “There’s a good feeling in the clubhouse right now.”
It will get better later.
“I always thought we were in the postseason race,” Francisco Lindor said. “Some people predicted we’d be eliminated, but I felt like we had the team and the talent. I haven’t seen the standings or the record yet, but we just have to keep climbing the mountain.”
For the Mets to turn this into a long, hot summer of sun, candy and rainbows, Mendoza will need the help of four stars — Lindor (his 19th career leadoff homer), Brandon Nimmo (three hits and one RBI), Starling Marte (a diving catch in right field) and a red-hot J.D. Martinez (a double to the opposite field) — to elevate the Boys of Shimmer into Boys of Summer contenders.
Alonso
A megadeal that once seemed inevitable will be back on the table, and his future with the Mets could end at the trade deadline unless Steve Cohen and general manager David Stearns are willing to be sellers.
Alonso had hit just 14 home runs since June 4.
“I don’t want there to be any pressure on him. He has to be himself,” Adam Ottavino told The Post, “but we know it’s going to happen at some point.”
When that happened, a 1-1 game turned into a 4-1 game, and Alonso’s single in the eighth inning drove in two runs and turned a 9-6 lead into 11-6.
“I felt pretty good. I was happy to take advantage of some pitches in the zone. Yeah, I was happy to hang in there for the team,” Alonso said.
Senga Kodai
He is scheduled to pitch in the bullpen again this week, with manager Mendoza hoping his ace can return from a posterior capsule injury in his right shoulder and subsequent triceps injury suffered after the All-Star break.
“His pitching is top-notch, he’s been a pro at this for years, and he knows how to lead his team to victory every time he goes out there, whether he’s in good form that day or not,” Ottavino said. “He’s a pro with a super weapon.” [ghost fork] “Two strikes.”
Francisco Alvarez
He returned on Tuesday after recovering from a torn ligament in his left thumb.
“He’s a special soul, a special character,” Ottavino said. “He’s very energetic, very competitive, smart beyond his years. He’s adapted very quickly and is really good at improving himself, which of course has a big impact on all of our pitchers. There’s a great sense of security with him when he pitches, and you can see how much he’s willing to work, how much he cares, how much he wants to get every out and every strike. Not to mention his hitting, he’s got the potential to be very dangerous, so we’re fortunate to have him.”
Alvarez rested most of Sunday, appearing only as catcher in the ninth inning.
“He’s always ready to go, he’s always ready to go, he’s always full of energy, on and off the field,” DJ Stewart told the Post. “He’s very confident in his game and we’re very confident in his game, and the pitchers are the same way. They trust him.”
Edwin Diaz
The trumpets sound again. Closer is back.
“We don’t have to face guys until the ninth inning,” Ottavino said. “Knowing he’s there makes things go a lot better.”
Save the obituaries, please. Here come the Mets.
