Mets' Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil rock Astros with home runs, Jose Iglesias rocks Citi Field with 'OMG' performance after victory
Jose Iglesias #11 of the New York Mets performs on the field after the game against the Houston Astros at Citi Field on June 28, 2024. Credit: Getty Images/Luke Hales
Citi Field is a ballpark, and many times it has been a concert venue. But on Friday night, after the rampaging Mets’ 7-2 victory over the Astros, it became both.
With many fans already staying in their seats because it was Fireworks Night, the Mets made a special announcement: Infielder Jose Iglesias was going to perform his new single “OMG” on the field.
And perform Iglesias did, still in his uniform. Eventually, he was joined by the entire team, with the players singing and dancing and turning a baseball stadium into Club Citi Field.
And then the fireworks went off.
It was that kind of night in Flushing as the Mets improved to 16-4 in their last 20 games to move over .500 for the first time since May 2.
Pete Alonso gave the Mets a 3-2 lead with a solo homer in the sixth inning and Jeff McNeil added a three-run shot later in the four-run frame as the Mets improved to 40-39 with their fourth consecutive victory and eighth straight at home.
OMG (as in Oh, my God) pretty much sums it up.
“I think it’s a special occasion,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Now you’ve got a player — an active player — that’s also releasing a song that is becoming very popular. Fireworks Night, and we ended up winning the game, so I think it worked out perfect. I don’t think if we hadn’t won that game we would have seen something like that. I think it was just perfect timing.”
Iglesias, who played the last two innings as a defensive replacement at third base and went 0-for-1, is emblematic of this Mets team that has risen from the ashes of a poor May. A 34-year-old former All-Star who was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on May 31, Iglesias has brought joy and fun and now music to Citi Field. And he’s also hitting .389.
“That’s a special moment,” Iglesias said, according to SNY. “That’s a special moment. That says how tight we are. That says what we are as a group. It’s the world we’re in and we’re just riding it and enjoying it one day at a time.”
Said Mendoza: “Obviously, they’re having a good time. They’re out there having fun, but at the same time knowing that they have a job to do. That’s the mindset — we come here, we prepare, we push each other, we hold people accountable. Day after day we want to go out there, compete and have fun, and that’s what we’re doing. A special day.”
Entire Mets team joins Jose Iglesias as he sings his new hit single OMG after the Mets’ win at Citi Field pic.twitter.com/z9iTdM0y2D
— Anthony Rieber (@AnthonyRieber) June 29, 2024
The day started with team president of baseball operations David Stearns being asked this: If the Mets continue to click, could they end up being buyers instead of sellers at the July 30 trade deadline?
“Sure,” Stearns said.
The Mets’ turnaround has been dramatic. They were 11 games under .500 on May 28. They now are in the thick of the National League wild-card race and can think of building it up rather than tearing it down.
“The truth is we still have time before we have to make decisions,” Stearns said before the game. “Clearly, our team performance has improved quite considerably over the past few weeks. I think we’re playing much closer to the level of baseball and consistency of baseball that we envisioned throughout the course of the season.”
If they do run with it, does Stearns expect owner Steve Cohen to authorize an increase in the Mets’ MLB-high $374 million payroll?
“I think Steve has shown repeatedly that he’s committed to investing the resources in the team that we need to compete,” Stearns said. “Certainly, I think we’ll continue to do so.”
Alonso snapped a 2-2 tie with a 419-foot solo bomb to left-center. It was his 17th home run.
The Astros, who came in having just reached .500 themselves with a seven-game winning streak, didn’t play like a hot team. Third baseman Alex Bregman and shortstop Jeremy Pena allowed a pop-up to fall between them in the second inning (it was scored a single for McNeil). Pena was doing an in-game interview for Apple TV+ at the time.
In the sixth, Bregman booted a potential inning-ending grounder for an error to give McNeil an at-bat with two men on. McNeil golfed an outside pitch into the first row in right for a three-run homer and a 6-2 lead.
Tyrone Taylor also homered for the Mets, who have hit 27 in their last 11 games.
Dedniel Nunez (2-0) picked up the win with two scoreless innings in relief of Jose Quintana.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.