Mets first baseman Pete Alonso was back in the starting lineup on Sunday for the team, but it wasn't his most memorable performance to date in the 3-2 extra-innings loss to the San Francisco Giants.
One day removed from the slugger hitting a three-run homer as a pinch hitter, he took frustrations out on his bat. In the third inning, Alonso worked a 1-2 count against pitcher Conner Menez. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Alonso chased a fast ball out of the zone for the final strike.
During the post-strikeout walk of shame back to the dugout, Alonso returned with two parts of a bat instead of one as he snapped it over his knee.
"I was just upset because I swung at that pitch because it was a ball," Alonso said. "I know I'm better than that. I hold myself to a high standard and I was just frustrated."
Following the All-Star break and his Home Run Derby win, Alonso has struggled at the plate. The rookie is 4-for-34 since the break with three home runs at 14 strikeouts. Alonso did walk twice on Sunday, but also hit into a force out. He was 0-for-3 on the day.
The bat break which caused some jeers in the crowd and caught most of the attention, but Alonso also appeared frustrated in the field as well.
Todd Frazier had an errant throw to Alonso at first base and on a hop, Alonso missed the ball. After tracking it down, Alonso attempted a throw to second base and sent it into left field. Alonso hung and shook his head, despite the Giants runners holding.
In the ninth inning, there was more of the same. Alonso missed a slow ground ball with his glove and recovered and got the out, tossing the ball to Seth Lugo covering the bag. Alonso was dejected because he didn't field the ball cleanly.
Manager Mickey Callaway said after the game that several members of the Mets' lineup have appeared frustrated as of late because of a lack of production. On Saturday, the Mets won 11-4. In the other three games of the four-game series, the Mets plated four runs in 38 innings, all extra-innings losses.
"I think it's because we haven't been scoring runs and you can see it happening, 'oh we're about to play extra innings again,'" Callaway said. "I'm sure they're frustrated that we haven't scored as many runs as we would have liked."
The Mets have Monday off and will hope an escape from the ballpark will help clear Alonso's head as the San Diego Padres visit Citi Field for the start of a three-game set on Tuesday.