Alonso Homers No. 300 as Mayo’s Inside-the-Parker Caps a 12-Inning Orioles Victory

The Orioles left CitiField with a 7-4 win after a night of wild swings, thanks to an unusual finish that featured two unlikely homers. Pete Alonso knotted things up with his 300th homer, setting the stage for Coby Mayo’s rare inside-the-park home run that gave the visitors the lead. Both clubs had plenty of chances to settle things earlier, but neither could find the decisive hit until the very end.

Alonso’s 300th Homer Ties It Up

The fans at CitiField had been holding their breath all week for this return. Alonso, a beloved former Met who played years with the team, came back to his old ballpark one homer shy of 300. Signs appeared throughout the park as soon as he approached the plate in the top of the ninth, and the applause started immediately.

The Orioles trailed 3-2 with two outs and Alonso 0-for-3 in the game and 0-for-6 in the series. Kodai Senga, the Mets closer and a forkball specialist, missed with his first two pitches. His third hung right down the middle, and Alonso didn’t miss.

The ball was struck hard into deep left, where it settled among the Mets fans, who let out a full-throated cheer. Their noise rose despite having just surrendered a ninth-inning lead. With the game knotted at 3-3, Alonso rejoiced with his teammates before stepping out for a curtain call, removing his cap and bowing to the crowd.

The Escape From Ninth-Inning Trouble

Josh Walker and Rico Garcia, two players who used to be part of the Mets organization, worked together to get through the ninth inning with the winning run waiting to score. The contest moved into extra frames, and neither side managed to take advantage of its chances during that stretch.

In the top of the 10th, Gunnar Henderson singled to move Christian Encarnacion-Strand to third with nobody out. The next three Orioles had three of the worst at-bats you’ll see. Jeremiah Jackson twice failed to bunt and struck out looking, wasting the Orioles’ ABS challenge in the process. Heston Kjerstad struck out looking on a fastball right down the middle. Leody Taveras grounded out to the pitcher.

The go-ahead run came in when a Daniel Duarte wild pitch let Encarnacion-Strand score during the Jackson at-bat. That lead did not last long.

The Mets Nearly Won It Themselves

In the bottom of the 10th, Marcus Semien’s one-out double off Alex Hoppe plated the Mets’ free runner, knotting the score at four. With two aboard and Hoppe clearly struggling with command, Christopher Morel inexplicably swung at a 3-0 pitch and grounded out. That short-circuited the Mets’ rally.

The game went to the 11th, and the Orioles took the lead in a way nobody could have expected. With two on and two out, Alonso struck out, failing to hit his 301st homer. Coby Mayo pounced on an 0-2 cutter from righty Jonathan Pintaro and crunched it to deep center field.

Ewing went after the ball with a Colton Cowser-esque bound toward the wall, but the ball escaped his glove just enough to deflect off the fence as he collided with it. The other Mets outfielders came running to back him up while he remained dazed. Meanwhile, Mayo had already hurled himself around all the bases for his first career inside-the-park home run.

Mayo’s Wild Sprint Around the Bases

The Orioles grabbed an early 7-4 lead when Mayo’s wild dash around the bases produced a run, and this time the advantage held firm. Andrew Kittredge, who has struggled lately, managed to close out the game for the save in the bottom of the 11th inning, even after Bo Bichette delivered a two-out RBI single. The Orioles came away with their second consecutive victory.

The Orioles had done it the hard way, and the crowd at CitiField had been along for the whole ride. The fans wanted Alonso’s homer, and they got it. They also got Mayo’s inside-the-park home run, which is the kind of finish that makes a night at the ballpark feel truly special.

Baz’s Abrupt Exit

Before the late-inning bedlam, the night took another strange turn. Shane Baz entered the game carrying a league-leading 15 losses, a total built from his well-chronicled lack of run support. But he never got a chance to add a win to his ledger, departing abruptly in the fifth inning.

Baz was turning away when Bo Bichette sent a hard 105-mph liner straight at his right elbow. The ball kept going, sailing all the way into left field after it struck him. Baz then kneeled on the mound and clutched his arm. Craig Albernaz and the training staff were already on their way out to check on the injured pitcher by that point.

Baz tried his best to toss a warm-up pitch, but he sent it sailing toward the backstop and walked right off the mound without saying a word. The X-rays after the game came back negative, which was good news, but given how elbows work, there’s little point in taking chances by pitching again this season.

What We Make Of It

Even though the Orioles’ season has fallen short of what was expected, they can still put on a very entertaining show from time to time.

The game against the Mets turned into one of those strange, “how the heck did the Orioles win this?” nights that baseball sometimes delivers. The first eight innings were a dull grind, but the ninth brought a sudden burst of action.

It was a draining game, yet unforgettable. The supporters received what they wanted, and the athletes secured their victory. That evening demonstrated how entertaining baseball can become when the narrative takes an unexpected turn. The Orioles faced a surrendered advantage, a spectacular home run, an odd conclusion and a pitcher’s injury. They prevailed despite it all.

It was the kind of evening that makes a season worth remembering, despite the bigger picture not going the way anyone hoped. The Orioles found a way to win, and they did it in a fashion that will stay with everyone who watched it.

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