Pete Alonso reached a major career milestone Tuesday night, hitting his 300th career home run in a dramatic return to Citi Field. Now playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Alonso faced his former team, the New York Mets, with Baltimore trailing 3-2 in the ninth inning. Alonso launched a 414-foot solo home run off Kodai Senga to tie the game at 3-3. It was his 36th home run of the season and made him the 19th active MLB player to reach 300 career homers.
What made the moment even more special was the reaction from Mets fans. Alonso spent his first seven MLB seasons in New York and became one of the most popular players on the team. He also left New York as the Mets’ all-time home run leader with 264, passing Darryl Strawberry’s previous franchise record. Even though Alonso’s 300th homer came against their own team, fans at Citi Field gave him a standing ovation and chanted his name. Alonso eventually stepped out of the Orioles dugout for a curtain call and acknowledged the crowd.
The home run also came at a huge point in the game. Alonso’s shot tied the score and helped send the game into extra innings, where Baltimore eventually won 7-5 in the 11th. Coby Mayo delivered the deciding hit with a three-run inside-the-park home run. For Alonso, reaching 300 home runs at the stadium where his MLB career began made an already impressive milestone even more memorable.