After Jacob deGrom recorded a scoreless inning earlier in the game, the Mets' talented young duo of Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil made their first career All-Star Game appearances in Cleveland.
The night ultimately belonged to the AL, who took home a 4-3 victory, but Alonso's impressive run in Cleveland was without a doubt one of baseball's biggest story lines.
A night after taking home the Home Run Derby crown, Alonso entered his first All-Star Game in the bottom of the fourth inning. His first at-bat came in the top of the sixth, as he went down swinging against Oakland's Liam Hendriks.
His second at-bat came in a much bigger spot. With the NL trailing 4-1 in the top of the eighth inning, the Polar Bear delivered with the bases loaded, grounding a one-hop single past Gleyber Torres to score two runs and bringing the AL lead down to one run.
Alonso became the first Met since Lee Mazzilli to have a multi-RBI performance in the All-Star Game.
"That was awesome," Alonso said after the game. "I came up in a big spot and I just wanted to do well, not just for the National League or for myself, but for the Mets as well. I thought this All-Star weekend was really awesome. I felt like I did a really good job of representing the New York Mets.
"If you would have told me that I would have went 1-2 with two [RBIs] and take home a Home Run Derby Championship, that's a hell of a weekend. It's just been a dream come true."
Alonso has made a name for himself among Mets fans in the first half of his rookie season, smashing 30 home runs on a rookie record-breaking pace. But this All-Star weekend appearance put Alonso on the national stage, and he delivered with a win in the derby and a strong showing in the All-Star Game.
"I feel like I won this weekend, just by enjoying everything to the fullest," Alonso said. "I'm just so thankful for the opportunity to be here. To be in this locker room is an incredible honor.
"I'm just thankful for every opportunity and this has been an absolute fantasy come true. I can't be thankful enough. I look forward to keep working hard and keep playing well."
Video: McNeil reflects on his journey to the All-Star Game
McNeil had a quieter night than his rookie counterpart. His night began in the bottom of the sixth. The Major Leagues' leading hitter entered the game in left field, securing a pair of fly-ball outs in his first inning in the field.
His first at-bat came in the top of the 8th with two on against Cleveland's Brad Hand. McNeil lofted a lazy fly ball to left, ending his only at-bat of the night.
Still, McNeil can hold his head high and be proud of all that he has accomplished in the last year.
"Starting in Double-A last year, to be an MLB All-Star, I didn't think it would happen this quick," McNeil said. "It's awesome. I loved every minute of it and hopefully my career keeps going up and I keep doing well.
"Individually, I know I had a good first half. I'm just going to carry that confidence into the second half and hopefully get some wins."
