Pete Alonso didn’t know what to expect, even though the answer — given the context of his looming free agency, the standing ovation he received at Citi Field just over two weeks ago, the ripple effects of that ninth-inning homer against the Brewers forever etched into Mets history — seemed quite obvious.
His most recent home game before Tuesday’s NLDS Game 3, back on Sept. 22, doubled as a potential farewell.
Alonso will be a free agent after the season. He hasn’t hinted at what the future might hold.
And in a year filled with rough patches, Alonso delivered the signature moment of his career, when a fly ball kept carrying until it gave the Mets a lead in Game 3 of their NL wild-card series, after leaving Citi Field for potentially the final time.
So Alonso returned as a Mets hero and only added to that with a home run in the second inning, turning drawn-out “Pete” yells into a standing ovation and “Pete Alonso” chants.
The threat of Alonso’s final at-bat with the organization will loom throughout the Mets postseason run — and could become relevant again later this week.
But for one night, he basked in the spotlight that his wild-card blast created in the first place.
“Honestly, I have no idea, but I’m just really excited to keep it going,” Alonso told The Post pregame about the personal reaction he expected from the crowd. “We’ve got some great vibes, great momentum going, and, I mean, that’s all we just need to focus on. Pitch to pitch, out to out, focus on the game, but I’m really excited to see the crowd.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza said what his star first baseman wouldn’t pregame: He predicted the reaction to Alonso — and everyone on the Mets, really — was “going to be electric.”
It’d be loud. It’d reflect the unexpected sprint through Atlanta, through Milwaukee, back through Atlanta and then back through Milwaukee that filled the 16 days in between stops at Citi Field.
Alonso was at the center of that run. He still finished the regular season with 34 homers and 88 RBIs, but his slugging percentage and OPS were the lowest of his career. His strikeout percentage was the highest.
But Alonso flipped his underwhelming walk year around once the playoffs began, walking three times in Game 1 against the Brewers, crushing the homer in Game 3 and then adding hits in each of the opening two games against the Phillies.
Then, he homered off Aaron Nola to give the Mets an early lead Tuesday.
“I just want him to go out there and be himself and embrace the moment and embrace the situation and just be Pete Alonso,” Mendoza said pregame.
The overall numbers, still, have been underwhelming when compared to Alonso’s past years.
But on a night that — this time — doubled as a celebration and delayed any other premature farewells by 24 hours, that didn’t matter.