Pete Alonso's three-run double after intentional walk to Juan Soto fuels Mets' win over Marlins

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Apr 8, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Pete Alonso made the Miami Marlins pay.

Despite Alonso’s red-hot start to the season, the Marlins opted to intentionally walk Juan Soto to load the bases with one out in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game at Citi Field.

Alonso responded with a bases-clearing double against reliever Ronny Henriquez — the biggest blow in the Mets’ 10-5 win.

The Marlins trailed, 6-5, when the right-handed Henriquez walked the lefty-swinging Soto. That became a 9-5 deficit after the righty-hitting Alonso lined a 1-0 sinker into the gap in left-center.

The three-run double capped a four-RBI day for Alonso, who also delivered a run-scoring bloop double in the bottom of the third. He now has 15 RBIs this season to rank third among MLB batters and second in the National League.

It was the first intentional walk of the season for Soto, who joined the Mets in the winter on a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract.

Alonso has benefited from hitting behind Soto, one of the most feared hitters in baseball. Soto’s .438 on-base percentage has meant plenty of RBI opportunities for Alonso, whom pitchers must attack whenever Soto’s on base.

“Soto gets on base,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said before Tuesday’s game. “It feels like teams are trying to not get beat by Soto, and then before you know it, they’re making mistakes with Pete.”

Soto’s presence as the No. 2 hitter has also provided premium protection for Mets leadoff man Francisco Lindor.

Lindor hit a home run — his first of the season — in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday, marking his fifth game in a row with a leadoff hit. He added a sacrifice fly in the seventh for his first multi-RBI game of the season.

“Soto is pretty much protecting all of those guys, whether they’re hitting in front of him or behind him,” Mendoza said. “I feel like they’re worried about him, and other guys are doing their part.”

The offense came in support of starter Clay Holmes, who picked up his first win as Met after allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts.

Holmes, who leaned primarily on a sinker-slider combo as the Yankees’ closer, has prioritized adding to his arsenal in his transition to the starting rotation.

On Tuesday, Holmes deployed a six-pitch mix and did not throw any pitch more than 19 times. The right-hander relied the most on his change-up to neutralize a Marlins lineup featuring six left-handed batters, including in each of the top four spots in the lineup.

Holmes finished off four of his strikeouts with his four-seam fastball, three with his slider, three with his sweeper and one with the change-up.

Walks, however, continued to burn Holmes. He issued three on Tuesday, and two of them came around to score. He’s now walked nine batters in 14 2/3 innings and has a 4.30 ERA through three starts.

It was the second start in six days against the Marlins for Holmes, who limited them to two runs in 4 2/3 innings and matched a career high with six strikeouts last week in Miami.

Tuesday’s game was originally scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m., but windy, frigid conditions in the forecast prompted a change to a 4:10 p.m. start.

Low-40s temperatures weren’t enough to cool off the Mets (8-3), who have now won six games in a row.

They go for the series sweep Wednesday afternoon, with Tylor Megill (2-0, 0.87 ERA) set to start for the Mets and Max Meyer (0-1, 3.09 ERA) scheduled to pitch for the Marlins.