Throw it Again: Alonso Quote from Game 1 Breaks Social Media as Braves Sweep Rival Mets

The rivalry between the Braves and Mets has been an interesting one over the years. From the “Larry” chants in New York during Chipper Jones’ tenure to the sweep in Atlanta that eventually led to the Braves taking the division crown in 2022, there have been some interesting events between these two teams. The last three games were no different. Truist Park played host to yet another chapter in the rivalry that led to a couple of choice phrases that in my mind should be on t-shirts.

For the first 3 innings on Tuesday, Bryce Elder looked like the man who led the National League in ERA going into that night’s game–and as of this writing still does. The top of the 3rd inning, however, was a different story. Elder would give up 2 two-run homers to Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, with the latter being the source of the controversy (unless you’re a Braves fan, in which case it was just funny).

At first, it seemed like a normal situation where a pitcher throws a bad pitch and a good hitter does what he’s supposed to do with it. I applaud Pete for that. But when he chirped at Elder from the dugout, uttering the now-famous phrase “Throw it again,” I along with most Braves fans I would guess, was a little annoyed. I think the rest of the Braves lineup was annoyed too, as they took the lead in the bottom of the sixth with RBI hits from Marcell Ozuna and Orlando Arcia and never gave it back. The Braves bullpen, which had been shaky in the past week, was solid, giving up no runs in covering the final 3 innings of a 6-4 Braves win on Tuesday night. Those three scoreless innings included Raisel Iglesias striking out Pete Alonso swinging on a 98 MPH fastball to lead off the inning, after which Braves Radio Network play-by-play man Ben Ingram could be heard saying “Have a seat, Pete.” But even as that game ended, the controversy that began with Alonso’s hot mic statement did not.

Veteran right-hander Charlie Morton took the mound for Atlanta in game 2. After a leadoff walk to the pesky Brandon Nimmo, fielder’s choice by Jeff McNeil, and a strikeout of Francisco Lindor, Alonso came to the plate to face Morton amid a chorus of boos the likes of which only Bryce Harper may have seen at Truist Park. After getting Alonso to tip the first pitch into the mit of Travis d’Arnaund for strike one, Morton hit the Mets first baseman on the left wrist with a fastball that was clocked at 97 MPH. Though I believe it was unwarranted, this sparked some controversy.

As a fan, I’m not sure which is worse between seeing the National League’s home run leader have to leave a game after a pitch hit him in the hand and the cheer you hear from the crowd which was what some might call “classless.” While I absolutely agree, I don’t believe the audible reaction was indicative of the feelings in the ballpark. Braves fans know and love the game. Most of them knew what everyone else knew; Morton did not hit Alonso intentionally. Even the gentlemen in the visiting broadcast booth acknowledged the lack of intent. In a post-game interview, Alonso said Morton looked for him after he got x-rays and apologized. At 39, Morton is what some would call an old-school pitcher. He pitches inside. He hits batters, most of whom he hits in the foot or leg with his back-foot curveball. As unfortunate as Alonso’s injury is, it had nothing to do with what he said from the dugout on Tuesday night. Both Morton and Alonso have moved on from the incident, and we as fans should do the same.

Thursday’s matchup on the mound between the Mets’ veteran right-hander Justin Verlander and the Braves’ fire balling young righty Spencer Strider looked like it would be a low scoring, high strikeout affair. It was anything but that. With Hall of Famers Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz on the call in the TV booth, the Braves would hand Strider a 3-0 lead with a lead-off double from star right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr, a two run blast from Austin Riley, and an RBI single by Eddie Rosario. Strider, normally known for his high strikeout totals and stifling offenses with his fastball that at times touches 100 MPH and his devastating slider, was not exactly himself on Thursday night. The Braves’ mustachioed right-hander gave up eight runs on as many hits while walking two and striking out eight in just four innings of work. He gave up two home runs, one of which being a grand slam by Brandon Nimmo as part of the Mets’ five-run surge in their half of the second.

It’s safe to say Justin Verlander was not his normal dominant self on this night either, pitching just three innings and giving up five runs–four earned–on seven hits including the home run by Riley. Verlander walked four while striking out three Braves hitters. Though he left with the lead, Verlander would not be the pitcher of record for the Mets.

Despite giving up runs in all but two innings in the game, the Mets held the lead until the Braves were down to their final turn at bat, despite a two-run home run from Travis d’Arnaud in the bottom of the eighth that cut the lead to one run. At this point, Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia decided he’d had enough, blasting a game-tying solo home run to left field off of Mets reliever David Robertson in the home half of the ninth. Unfortunately for the Braves, they could do no further damage in the bottom of the ninth, so there would be bonus baseball in Atlanta.

Raisel Iglesias capped off a scoreless performance by Braves relievers by firing a scoreless top of the 10th inning in which pinch runner Mark Canha came in as the placed runner at second base and did not move, as Iglesias retired the side in order including two strikeouts. Keeping Canha from scoring set the stage for what could be the biggest comeback win of the series.

Tommy Hunter took the mound for the Mets in the bottom of the 10th. Matt Olson was scheduled to be the placed runner for the Braves, but he was replaced by Sam Hilliard at second base. Austin Riley led off the inning with a popout to Mets third baseman Matt Baty. Travis d’Arnaud would follow with a walk, putting two runners on with one out as Eddie Rosario climbed into the left-handed batter’s box. Rosario would fly out to left field, leaving Ozzie Albies with a chance to play the hero. Albies would do exactly that, hitting Hunter’s 1-0 pitch into the Chop House beyond the right field wall and completing the comeback and the three-game sweep.

As a fan, I’m not sure what was better. Between a back-and-forth battle for the ages and having three Hall of Fame players on the call, this game will be one to remember, and I will forever be fortunate to have witnessed it, even if it was on TV. No matter what happens the rest of the season, this entire series will be one to remember. It speaks to the strength of the Mets lineup despite their current standing in the division. It speaks to the heart of the entire Braves team when you consider they are down two frontline starters in Max Fried and Kyle Wright. When this latest run of division championships began, the motto was always “Don’t quit with Snit.” There certainly was no quit in them in this series, winning all three games in come-from-behind fashion.

There are 100 games left in the season, so we have a long way to go. But it’s safe to say this Braves team will be one to watch as the season rolls on. Despite injuries and setbacks along the way, they always seem to bounce back. There are a lot of games yet to be played, and you can’t play them on paper. I am confident that the road to October runs through Atlanta.