In a 162-game season in which he stepped to the plate 695 times, Pete Alonso hit four opposite-field home runs.
In his first six postseason games and 26 plate appearances, Alonso hit three opposite-field home runs.
In Tuesday’s Game 3 win in his Citi Field return, Alonso saw an Aaron Nola fastball on the outside of the plate and went with it, powering yet another home run into the seats in right — which is a sign that his bat is feeling all right.
“Just hitting the ball where it’s pitched and hitting the ball on the sweet spot of the bat,” Alonso said. “That’s pretty much all I’m trying to do every single AB. I’m just really happy I was able to capitalize on some opportunities.
“Just staying within myself, staying within my approach, and just hitting the ball right on the screws.”
The approach has been working in a postseason that started slowly and became the stuff of legend when Alonso drove the go-ahead, three-run home run in Game 3 in Milwaukee that won the Mets the wild-card series.
That one, too, was launched to right — as was his home run in Philadelphia in Game 2 of the NLDS.
Alonso did not mention any mechanical changes that have led to the differently placed blasts, but the opposite-field shots portend well.
“Right now I’m just trying to get a pitch I can handle and just put a good swing on it and stay within myself,” said Alonso, who batted cleanup for Game 4 on Wednesday. “Wherever it goes out, if it does, I’m just happy it does.
“It’s just a product of a good swing, and pitch was away, so I’m really glad. If I’m hitting balls the other way, it’s typically a good sign.”
If Alonso’s swing has not changed, something else has in his postseason at-bats.
A slugger who typically walked up to Rush’s “Working Man” pivoted to Don McLean’s “American Pie” for Game 3.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Mets in the postseason:
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- Mets fans go nuts, sing loudly in unison for Francisco Lindor’s walk-up song
A team that has entertained its fan base about as much as any team in recent memory — with constant gimmicks and sing-alongs like Francisco Lindor’s “My Girl” — found one more way to get the crowd involved.
“Why not? It’s a good song,” Alonso said. “I was kind of listening to it, it came up on shuffle. I’m like, oh, this would be sick. Yeah, this could be really fun, and it was.”