After hard-fought win over Pirates, Pete Alonso gives clear verdict on Luisangel Acuna's Mets fit

The New York Mets completed a thrilling win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday with fan-favorite Pete Alonso coming in clutch for the team with a walk-off RBI.

In a contest that went back and forth all night, Alonso gave the home team a come-from-behind 4-3 win with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning. While the All-Star slugger grabbed the headlines with his heroics, Alonso praised young Luisangel Acuna Jr. for his baserunning.

Acuna displayed tremendous hustle to give the Mets the lead in the seventh inning, racing home from second after Alonso struck a groundball off Colin Holderman.

Talking about Acuna's hustle, Alonso said:

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"I mean that man can fly. I mean, he's got electric speed, and he causes Havoc on the base paths. We're so lucky to have him."

Acuna Jr. also talked about his play that helped the Mets take a lead in the seventh inning.

“I broke for third and saw the ball there,” Acuna said. “Then I saw [third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh] and he was waving me home in that situation… I’m always trying to impact the game — in my defense, in my base-running, in any situation.”

Pete Alonso reflects on his game-winning RBI

The decision to bring back Pete Alonso in the offseason has been paying dividends for the Mets. While Juan Soto is still getting used to playing for a new team, Alonso has been an offensive leader for the team.

Following his eighth walk-off RBI, Alonso said:

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“Just looking for a good pitch to hit. That aspect doesn’t necessarily change there. Whether it’s a fly ball, a hit, or even a passed ball. For me, I just want to execute my gameplan and not necessarily get too bit. The fly ball was what we needed.”

The Mets improved to a 25-15 record after the narrow win, further solidifying their top spot in the National League East with the Philadelphia Phillies 2.5 games behind them with a 24-17 record.

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