Pete Alonso, OMG! What we learned in Mets' wild-card comeback

With the Mets down to their last two outs and trailing by two runs, struggling slugger Pete Alonso launched a three-run homer to lift New York to the National League Division Series. 

All the Brewers could do was grimace.

FOX Sports MLB writers Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner offered their top takeaways from Thursday's thriller.

What's cooler than cool? The Polar Bear

Pete Alonso, after scuffling through September and the first days of October, finally got his moment. Entering the biggest at-bat of his career, Alonso had two options. He could end his 2024 campaign (and perhaps his Mets career) on the sourest of notes, doing little to nothing to change the script in a win-or-go-home game. Or, he could help save the Mets' season and possibly send them to the NLDS against the Phillies. Which one was calling his name? 

Door No. 2. 

During a hard-fought at-bat against closer Devin Williams, in which he took balls on pitches 2, 3 and 4, Alonso's decision to swing on the fifth pitch, a changeup in the heart of the zone, was a moment of destiny. The All-Star slugger crushed a ninth-inning three-run home run, the Mets dugout emptied onto the field, the watch party of 10,000 fans at Citi Field lost their minds, and a season of underwhelming moments from the Polar Bear were all but forgotten.

Up until Thursday's Game 3, Alonso was becoming the butt of the joke. He couldn't hit with runners in scoring position. He recorded a full-season career-low 34 home runs. As if things couldn't get worse, he tripped on his bat while running out of the box in Wednesday's Game 2 to produce an inning-ending double play. In a Mets season full of whimsy, humor and joy, Alonso was the odd-man out. 

All year, the Mets waited for Alonso's big moment.