Pete Alonso delivered a decisive three-run homer in the ninth inning off closer Devin Williams, propelling the New York Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night. This win secured the Mets' advancement in the NL wild-card series. The thrilling comeback in Game 3 marked the Mets' first playoff advancement since their 2015 National League pennant win. They now move on to face the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-five Division Series starting Saturday in Philadelphia. This will be the first postseason clash between these longtime rivals.
The Mets, who finished six games behind the Phillies in the regular season standings with a 6-7 record against them, showcased their resilience. Meanwhile, the Brewers, despite making their sixth playoff appearance in the last seven years, are still seeking their first postseason series win since reaching Game 7 of the 2018 NL Championship Series. The loss will be particularly bitter for Milwaukee, who seemed in control after Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick hit back-to-back homers in the seventh inning off José Buttó.
Tobias Myers and three relievers had combined for a two-hit shutout through eight innings, and the Mets had been retired 12 straight times before facing Williams in the ninth. However, Williams, a two-time NL reliever of the year, struggled on this night. Francisco Lindor walked to open the inning, and after Mark Vientos struck out, Brandon Nimmo singled to put runners at the corners. Alonso, who hadn't hit a homer since September 19, capitalized on a 3-1 changeup, sending it over the right-field wall to give the Mets the lead.
Williams remained in the game but couldn't regain his form. Jesse Winker, hit by a pitch with two outs, stole second and scored on Starling Marte's single, adding an insurance run. The ninth-inning rally continued the Mets' remarkable season, which saw them transform from a 22-33 record in late May to one of the best teams in baseball for the rest of the regular season. The Mets clinched their playoff berth in dramatic fashion, scoring all their runs in the final two innings of an 8-7 victory over Atlanta.
In the bottom of the ninth, Frelick's single was followed by Joey Ortiz's strikeout and Brice Turang's double play, ending the series. Edwin Díaz earned the win with one and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief, while David Peterson secured his first major league save in his first relief appearance of the season. The game began as a pitchers' duel between Myers and New York's Jose Quintana, with Myers pitching five shutout innings and Quintana holding the Brewers scoreless through six.
