Pete Alonso, Juan Soto lead Mets to home opener win over Blue Jays
Mets first base Pete Alonso hits a two-run home run in the first inning of the home opener against the Blue Jays at Citi Field on Friday. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Feeling flirty, the still-filling-in Citi Field crowd offered Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a hearty round of applause during pregame introductions Friday afternoon, a reminder of his status as a pending free agent and the Mets’ status as a big-market team that is acting and spending like it.
After that, though, it was all about these Mets in a 5-0 win over Toronto.
How will they follow a charmed 2024 season? To start, with a charmed home opener, a practically perfect day at the ballpark featuring a little bit of everything: homecoming king Pete Alonso homering in his first at-bat, Juan Soto receiving a standing ovation in the first inning and collecting his first Queens hit in the sixth, Tylor Megill pitching well into the sixth and fan-turned-reliever Max Kranick recording the final outs.
Even the weather — after rain had been forecast for much of the week — held up just fine, making for a dry, comfortable experience for the sold-out audience of an announced 43,945. That was larger than all but one home crowd last year.
“This was super-picturesque. I don’t think it could’ve gone any better,” Alonso said, rattling off the list of things that went well. “Also, a Mets ‘W.’ You couldn’t write up a better start.”
The Mets own a winning record (4-3) for the first time this season.
“Everything went our way,” Soto said. “We’re really happy we were able to come through and bring some runs in for Megill and let him do his job. He threw amazing today. When you look at every detail, it went great.”
The game-sealing sequence came across several minutes in the sixth inning.
In the top of the frame, Reed Garrett inherited a two-on, one-out jam from Megill. He struck out former Mets infielder Andres Gimenez and Alejandro Kirk — both swinging at splitters — to escape.
In the bottom half, the Mets all but put the game away with a three-run rally highlighted by run-scoring doubles by Soto and Brandon Nimmo.
Soto also made a smooth catch, ranging back and to his left to snag Anthony Santander’s fly ball near the rightfield wall, and stole a base in the eighth, making for a well-rounded Citi Field debut as a member of the Mets.
In the clubhouse, Soto received prime real estate — an indicator of a player’s status — with a locker next to the door that leads to the dugout tunnel. On the other side of the doorway: Francisco Lindor (who began the bottom of the first with a first-pitch line drive that he hustled into a double).
Soto’s spot had been occupied in recent years by J.D. Martinez and Max Scherzer. Unlike those players, veteran mercenaries on high-dollar, short-term contracts, Soto is in this for a while, just starting his 15-year, $765 million deal.
Already, Soto said, this is like home.
“It feels great. This fan base is amazing,” said Soto, who received perhaps the loudest cheer of any Mets person during pregame introductions. “I didn’t realize how many fans they have and how passionate they are. It’s really cool.”
The biggest hit of the day came from Alonso. Playing in his first home game since agreeing to return to the Mets in early February, ending months of wondering whether he would move on from the only professional organization he has ever known, Alonso rose to the occasion again — just as he did last October in Milwaukee and in recent days in Miami (twice).
Down in the count 1-and-2, Alonso got a fastball from Kevin Gausman (5 1⁄3 innings, three runs) low and actually a bit off the plate. He flicked it over the rightfield wall. Upon returning to the dugout, with fans chanting his name, Alonso popped back out for the curtain call, tipping his helmet and raising both arms with a smile.
“It’s stuff that you fantasize, dream about as a kid,” Alonso said. “For that to happen, it’s so sick.”
Megill made it through 5 1⁄3 innings with minimal stress. He limited the Jays to two hits and three walks, with two of those coming to his last two batters. That was when manager Carlos Mendoza, not wanting to risk what at that point was just a 2-0 lead, yanked him in favor of Garrett.
Then there was Kranick, who grew up rooting for the Mets in Pennsylvania and is enjoying his first weeks as a member of the bullpen. With 11 family members — including his father, John, once a Shea Stadium season-ticket holder and a regular at home openers — in the stands, Kranick retired six of seven batters to end the game. He is up to 5 2⁄3 scoreless innings on the year.
“Being the last one to pitch out there, closing the game out, it was an awesome moment,” Kranick said. “I’ll remember this one forever, I’m sure.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
