OMG!
The power of Grimace lives on.
A Mets team that was 11 games under .500 in late May is heading to the National League Division Series behind Pete Alonso’s three-run, ninth-inning homer. New York trailed by two with runners on the corners and one out when the slugging first-baseman muscled a 3-1 changeup 367 feet just over the right-centerfield wall.
In the process, he became only the third player with his team facing elimination in the ninth inning or later to hit a go-ahead home run, joining Albert Pujols (2005) and Dave Henderson (1986). Not only that, but he became the first player to ever hit one in a win-or-go-home game.
The Mets added an insurance run and then shut Milwaukee down in the ninth to escape with a 4-2 win. The Brewers had a 94.0% win probability heading into the final frame-up two before the Mets authored one of the most stunning wins in franchise history.
Perhaps it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, though.
New York has rallied in so many ways and now join the Tigers as six-seeds with extremely long odds at one point to advance to the divisional round.
New York was in Wild Card position at the end of June yet few believed in them. They had just a 25.4% chance of making the playoffs, which was far worse than the other teams in the thick of the race behind them. The Mets were +9000 to win the World Series at the time, which was actually worse than when they were at their low point in late May/early June (+8000). For what it’s worth, they were +5000 to start the year.
The Mets are now +950 to win the World Series at DraftKings and +450 to win the National League.
New York's latest dramatic rally is on the heels of an equally dramatic one against the Braves on Monday to earn a postseason berth. Their bats were ice-cold for seven innings before exploding for six in the top of the eight to take a 6-3 lead. After blowing it in the eighth, Francisco Lindor hit a two-run bomb in the ninth for an 8-7 win.
New York’s improbable run marches on to Philadelphia against their arch-rival Phillies. The Mets are +160 at DraftKings to pull off another upset, while Philadelphia is -185.
