NEW YORK — Mets slugger Pete Alonso hit his 52nd homer of the season, tying Yankees star Aaron Judge’s total from 2017 for most by a rookie.
Alonso lined an 0-1 fastball from Atlanta left-hander Dallas Keuchel narrowly over the wall in left field in the first inning Friday night. He hurried around the bases after the solo homer, did handshakes with teammates outside the dugout and took a curtain call on the top step to big cheers from the crowd at Citi Field.
Alonso has already set franchise records for homers, total bases (343) and extra-base hits (84). He has 119 RBIs and 100 runs, becoming the first Mets rookie to reach triple digits in both categories. No New York player had reached those totals in any season since David Wright and Carlos Beltran in 2008.
New York trailed the NL East-champion Braves 2-1 after Alonso’s connection.
