For one night, the Mets had plenty to celebrate once again.

Whatever happened before Tuesday night mattered little, and what happens from here is a story for another night. The story Tuesday night at Citi Field was all about Pete Alonso helping the Mets halt their losing streak at seven games with his 253rd and 254th home runs, passing Darryl Strawberry to become the franchise’s new home run leader.

Alonso hit two in a 13-5 win over the Atlanta Braves, breaking Strawberry’s record with a third-inning homer off right-hander Spencer Strider, and a sixth-inning moonshot off left-hander Austin Cox. It was a moment and a game he never could have imagined when he was learning to play the game on fields in Tampa.

“As a kid, you don’t really think that it’s in the realm of the possibility to be a franchise home run leader. You just don’t,” Alonso said. “You just want to get to the big leagues and give it your best. The dream is really kind of this like, opaque and unknown thing. You’re just want to get there and compete for a World Series [and] play winning baseball.

“To have that opportunity you really don’t think about, and I mean, that’s a wild dream, to be honest, and it’s really special.”

Three days after he tied Strawberry’s nearly-37-year-old record in Milwaukee, Alonso got the money pitch he needed in the bottom of the third inning. The guitar riff from Eric Clapton’s “Layla” had barely hit its crescendo when Alonso hit his, smashing a 95 MPH fastball over the right-center fence to put the Mets up 5-1.

The fans were already on their feet waiting to see history. In his first at-bat of the night, Alonso doubled to the left field warning track off Strider, and the fans couldn’t believe it. A 345-foot hit that nearly hit the fence.

He didn’t miss on his second try.

A low line drive that traveled 394 feet, immediately after it landed in the visitor’s bullpen, Citi Field erupted. Alonso tipped his cap while running the bases to acknowledge the fans chanting his name, while Mets came out of the dugout to congratulate him on breaking a 37-year-old team record.

“Pretty surreal,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “Special for him to hit it at home. Not only 253, but 254, it’s a special number. You think about how many great players have put this uniform on, and then to finally break the record of one of the greatest, Straw, I’m just glad we were able to witness that.”

The Polar Bear then stood on the bench, saluting the crowd with his arms outstretched above his head one more time before the game resumed. It was a moment Mendoza said he’ll never forget, and one Alonso won’t either.

“You could just feel the support,” Alonso said. “You could hear it. I mean, as as electric as it kind of felt, it was a dream.”

Even a disastrous start by Clay Holmes couldn’t kill the vibes. Immediately after the Mets took a four-run lead, the scuffling right-hander gave up four runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 5-5. The Mets had to remove him with two out and runners on the corners. Left-hander Gregory Soto (1-3) got the final out to prevent more damage.

Soto went on to throw 1 1/3 innings, and right-hander Justin Hagenman went three for his first career save, something Alonso acknowledged early on.

In the bottom of the fourth, Strider got two outs before the top of the order rallied around Alonso. Francisco Lindor legged out a bunt single to extend the inning, and Juan Soto drew a walk to bring up Brandon Nimmo, a long-time teammate of Alonso’s as another homegrown Met.

Nimmo hit one to the same spot Alonso did in the third for a go-ahead, three-run homer.

“When we made the pitching change, I went over to Cedric in center field and was like, ‘Well, we just need to get more,’” Nimmo said. “It’s so simple, but that’s the way you have to look at it right now. Eventually it all comes together and you break through.”

Strider was charged with a season-high eight runs on eight hits in the loss (5-10). The bottom of the order tacked on two against Cox in the bottom of the fifth and one in the sixth. He was charged two more in the seventh when Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty hit back-to-back homers.

Alvarez also homered twice for the Mets (64-55), going 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored. Nimmo went 2-for-4 with three RBI and his 20th homer of the season, Mullins went 2-for-4 with a double, Baty went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI and Alonso went 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.

The Mets hit six home runs off the Braves (51-68), all with two outs. So many, Citi Field ran out of fireworks.

It was the best the lineup has looked in weeks, against a team that typically gives the Mets fits no matter where they are in the standings. Maybe the Mets will build on this win, or maybe the bats will go cold again, but they can worry about that tomorrow.

Tuesday night belonged to Alonso and the Mets.

Originally Published: August 12, 2025 at 9:33 PM EDT