Alonso Walk Off Homer vs. Texas Ends 8-Game Skid

To say that the New York Mets needed that would be a tremendous understatement.

Having lost eight straight games, and seeing their lead for the final wild card dwindle down to just a half game, the Mets finally got back on the winning side when Pete Alonso hit the biggest home run of the season, a three-run bomb in the tenth inning of a tied game against the Texas Rangers to send New York to a 5-2 victory.

The win concluded a lost weekend for the Mets. They watched their old ace dominate them on Friday as Jacob deGrom tossed seven innings for Texas in a 8-3 Rangers victory. That same night Jonah Tong left the game in the first inning having given up six runs.

On Saturday, following all the good feeling from the Alumni Classic, the Mets built a 2-0 lead on Texas, only to see Edwin Diaz implode in the late innings as the Rangers scored three unanswered runs late to win it 3-2.

Sunday was shaping up to be similarly awful. With their ace on their in Nolan McLean, the Mets could only scratch out two runs for him. But it looked like it could be enough. McLean held Texas to five hits over six innings of work with seven Ks, but of course the bullpen nearly blew it.

Brooks Raley gave up two runs on a Joc Pederson two run single in the seventh inning, and just like that we were tied at two.

What else could go wrong?

That's why the Alonso home run mattered so much. It was like a weight had been lifted.

Add the fact the Giants and Reds both lost on Sunday, and the Mets maintain a 1.5 game lead over San Francisco for the final wild card. Arizona is suddenly in the mix at two back, and the Reds are 2.5 back.

With two weeks to go, the Mets are still in the drivers seat. They have life, now they need to make something of it.

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