Pete Alonso home run sends NY to NLDS

With Pete Alonso playing hero, the New York Mets pulled off an improbable ninth-inning comeback to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 in Game 3 of the wild-card series, advancing to the National League Division Series.

Two outs from elimination and trailing 2-0, Alonso clubbed a three-run homer off Brewers closer Devin Williams to put the Mets ahead – after his team had failed to score in 15 consecutive innings dating back to Game 2.

In what could have been his last at-bat with the Mets, Alonso took Williams to the opposite field, stunning the crowd at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Starling Marte’s RBI single gave the Mets a crucial insurance run and David Peterson came out of the bullpen to record the save for New York.

“It’s just something that you practice in the backyard as a kid,” Alonso said after the game. “You go through those scenarios as a little kid. It’s like, ‘All right, you’re in the playoffs down by a few runs.’ I don’t know. Words can’t explain. It’s just unreal.”

Milwaukee had gone ahead with back-to-back homers from Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick in the bottom of the seventh, breaking a late scoreless tie after strong performances from starters Jose Quintana and Tobias Myers.

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

The Mets will face the NL East champion Phillies in the NLDS, which begins Saturday at Citizens Bank in Philadelphia. It will be the first postseason meeting between the longtime rivals who have played nearly 1,100 times in the regular season.

It was New York’s second champagne celebration of the week, capping a frantic stretch of five games in four days that required the team to split a doubleheader on Monday just to get into the playoffs.

The Mets were 11 games under .500 in early June but turned around over the summer, ultimately winning the club’s first playoff series since 2015.

Pete Alonso homer turns game on its head

Trailing 2-0 in the ninth inning, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso opposite-field, three-run homer put the Mets ahead against closer Devin Williams, stunning the crowd in Milwaukee. The Mets had gone 15 innings without scoring and were two outs away from elimination.

Bauers, Frelick home runs give Brewers late lead

Jake Bauers and Sal Frelick jumped on Mets reliever Jose Butto with back-to-back home runs (on back-to-back pitches) to lead off the bottom of the seventh, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

Butto came in to replace starter Jose Quintana, who had thrown six scoreless innings. Bauers was pinch-hitting for Rhys Hoskins against the right-handed reliever and hit a bomb to right to open the scoring. Before the fans in Milwaukee even sat down, Frelick homered down the right field line.

End 5: Mets 0, Brewers 0

Still scoreless through five innings after Jose Quintana got Blake Perkins to ground out with a runner on second to end the bottom of the fifth. Milwaukee went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the first five innings.

Trevor Megill replaces Tobias Myers to start the sixth after the rookie tossed five scoreless innings with five strikeouts and a hit batsman. Quintana is at 77 pitches through five innings with three strikeouts.

Mets vs Brewers scoreless through three

We’re one-third of the way through Thursday’s winner-take-all Game 3 with the Mets and Brewers trading zeroes. Milwaukee starter Tobias Myers has given up two hits with three strikeouts and New York’s Jose Quintana has three strikeouts.

The teams are a combined 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position through three innings.

Jose Quintana gets out of jam after Chourio’s leadoff hit

After hitting two home runs on Wednesday, 20-year-old Jackson Chourio led off with a single in the bottom of the first, but Mets lefty Jose Quintana struck out Blake Perkins, got William Contreras to ground out and then retired Willy Adames on an infield popup to strand Chourio on second.

Mets vs. Brewers Game 3 underway in Milwaukee

Brewers starter Tobias Myers worked around Francisco Lindor’s leadoff double in the top of the first, striking out Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo before getting Pete Alonso to fly out to center field

A 26-year-old rookie, Myers had a 3.00 ERA in 138 innings in the regular season.

NY Mets lineup today

1. Francisco Lindor (S) SS
2. Mark Vientos (R) 3B
3. Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
4. Pete Alonso (R) 1B
5. Jose Iglesias (R) 2B
6. Jesse Winker (L) DH
7. Starling Marte (R) RF
8. Tyrone Taylor (R) CF
9. Francisco Alvarez (R) C

Brewers lineup for Game 3

1. Jackson Chourio (R) LF
2. Brice Turang (L) 2B
3. William Contreras (R) DH
4. Willy Adames (R) SS
5. Gary Sánchez (R) C
6. Rhys Hoskins (R) 1B
7. Blake Perkins (S) CF
8. Sal Frelick (L) RF
9. Joey Ortiz (R) 3B

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.