NL WILD CARD SERIES: METS VS BREWERS

October 3, 2024

Pete Alonso

American Family Field

New York Mets

Postgame Press Conference

Mets - 4, Brewers - 2

Q. What was the pitch, and what were you trying to do? Did you surprise yourself with that the way things had been going?

PETE ALONSO: I was just looking for something out over the plate. Yeah, I just really wanted to hit something hard through the big part of the field. I'm really happy that I capitalized, really happy that I capitalized.

I know Devin has great stuff. I've seen him pitch a ton. We were teammates in the WBC. He's a tough AB. So I'm just really happy I was able to capitalize on something out over the plate.

It's just been such a great ride all year, and I'm just happy I could come through for my team right there. It's a really special moment.

Q. Pete, up to that moment things hadn't really been going your way, drop pop-up and look at the first couple games of the series, how do you bring yourself to zero at that moment? Francisco gets on, Nimmo gets on, and to have that at-bat that you had to get your team in the next round?

PETE ALONSO: It's that next-pitch mentality. You can't change what's happened in the past, and every AB, every pitch, every inning I want to do the best I can. I'm focused on that.

I mean, it's baseball. It's a game of failure. Sometimes it's not the case. Especially in these big games, you've got to move on to the next pitch and make a positive impact, do the best you can, stay within yourself and execute.

I'm just really happy I was able to execute right there and hit something hard and a pitch I could handle to the big part of the field. So just that next-pitch mentality, anything that happened in the past, it doesn't matter. It's the moment now.

Q. With the game going the way it did, did you feel like you were going to have an opportunity to impact this game late?

PETE ALONSO: Nothing's guaranteed in baseball, but for me, I wanted to be in that spot. I wanted to deliver for my team. I want to contribute in a positive way.

I'm just really happy I was able to do that. I mean, all winter, Spring Training, you train and work for these type of moments in the postseason, and I'm just really happy I was able to deliver. We've worked so hard as a team collectively. I mean, our pitching staff was great all series. We had quality at-bats as a whole lineup. We played great defense.

I'm just happy for every single guy in that locker room, coaches included. Like everybody included top to bottom. This has been a grind of a year, and I'm just so happy I was able to help this team go forward.

Q. Pete, you spent some time in this state ten years ago. I know I'm asking you to go back a little bit, but what did you get from that summer in Madison that helped going forward?

PETE ALONSO: I had a tough -- for me, I had a tough freshman year, and for me, I think I found my true identity as a ballplayer in Madison.

Yeah, that 2014 summer was really formative. It taught me how to ride the bus. It taught me what the Minor Leagues was going to be like because there's a ton of hours. I had a great manager in Donnie Scott. I had great team members. I had a great host family.

Yeah, that year was really formative for who I have become as a baseball player. Really, really helpful for sure.

Q. Pete, you see the ball go out. Your entire dugout is on the field. As you're rounding first base, do you feel that support that they've had for you in that moment while you've been struggling, that support you guys have been having for each other? And what does that mean for you that, even in your down times, all 26 guys on the roster, the whole staff is right there supporting you?

PETE ALONSO: It means the world. It doesn't matter like if it's me or somebody else, I know that everybody in that clubhouse, and I know everybody in our organization, like we have each other's backs. That's part of the fabric why we've been able to bounce back and earn a playoff spot and then move onto the next level. All of us have each other's backs.

That's who we are as an organization, and that's who we are as a team. That's our identity. We have everyone's back and fully supportive, and everybody's in it together.

So it's just -- it's a really special group. How far we've come this year from earlier this year, not a lot of people thought we'd be at this spot right now. So it's just really special to move on, to move on the way we have.