In the rubber match of their series on Sunday, the New York Mets fought the New York Yankees to a stalemate after eight innings.
Then Pete Alonso made a mistake, and everything fell apart.
After the Mets first baseman made a throwing mistake in the eighth inning, the Yankees scored five more runs to win 8-2 and secure the Subway Series.
Carlos Mendoza, the manager of the Mets, criticized Alonso for the misdirected toss after the game.
Pete Alonso Takes Blame
In the bottom of the eighth inning of the May 18 game, the Yankees put runners on second and third, tying the Mets at 2-2. When Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez broke on contact, Alonso looked home after fielding a powerful ground ball from youngster Jorbit Vivas.
The Yankees scored the game-winning run when Alonso’s throw went to the backstop, even though it looked like he had time to beat Dominguez.
Mendoza claimed after the game that if Alonso had made a stronger throw, he could have gotten Dominguez out.
According to Mendoza, “I think a good throw would have had him,” as reported by The Athletic.
Throughout the first seven weeks of the MLB season, Alonso has been playing at an MVP level, so he wasn’t attempting to avoid responsibility. He claimed that both the play and the defeat were his responsibility.
“I made a mistake,” Alonso said. “I just threw something terrible. I’m responsible for the entire inning and this game. This is entirely my fault.
Yankees Broke Game Open After Pete Alonso Error
Although Vivas entered the game as a defensive substitute, he struggled throughout his at-bat in the eighth inning. After the game, he informed reporters that his goal was just to make contact with Ryan Stanek, a hard-throwing reliever for the Mets.
According to the New York Daily News, he stated, “I don’t want to do too much because he’s throwing 100 miles.” “I just want to help the team and put the ball in play.”
Although he gave the rookie credit, Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated that he believes Dominguez might have scored even if Alonso’s throw had been on line.
Boone said, “What an AB, man.” His adjustment was evident. You could feel him settling in a little bit after the third or fourth pitch. You sensed his calmness.
“The throw gives us a break, but Jasson was moving down that line so quickly—I don’t know.”
The Yankees, whose bats had been mostly restrained until the eighth inning, gained the upper hand thanks to Alonso’s throwing mistake. The scorching Cody Bellinger came up with the bases loaded and smashed a grand slam off Mets starter Genesis Cabrera after Paul Goldschmidt singled again.
The Mets were still a half-game ahead of the hot Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East after their heartbreaking loss in the Subway Series. Due to the defeat, the Mets are now tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most victories in the National League at 29-18.
With the victory, the Yankees’ advantage over the Boston Red Sox in the AL East grew to 27-19.
