Pete Alonso went deep, while Edwin Díaz couldn’t secure the save.
For the tenth time in franchise history, four players represented the Mets at this year’s All-Star Game in Atlanta — and for just the fifth time in franchise history, four players actually appeared in the game. Playing at a division rival’s home ballpark, all those in orange and blue received boos from the Atlanta crowd during pregame introductions.
Pete Alonso was the star of the show, belting a three-run, opposite-field home run in the top of the sixth inning to put the N.L. up 5-0. Adding another entry to his record-shattering Mets resume, Alonso became just the third Met to go deep in an All-Star Game (after Lee Mazzilli in 1979 and David Wright in 2006) and the first to record three RBI. Alonso, who delivered a two-run RBI single back in the 2019 All-Star Game, also became the Mets’ career RBI leader in the exhibition with five total.
Alonso appeared in line to become the first Met to win All-Star Game MVP, but Kyle Schwarber’s performance in the new swing-off tiebreaker stole the award from the Polar Bear’s claws. Alonso was due up last for the N.L. in the swing-off, but Schwarber’s dominant 3-for-3 display was enough to secure the victory after Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda failed to hit one out.
Francisco Lindor, making his first career All-Star Game start at shortstop — and his long-overdue first All-Star appearance as a Met — went 0-for-2 at the plate, striking out in the bottom of the second inning against Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón. Lindor still managed to flash the leather during his five innings on the field, recording four assists including a long one-hop throw to retire friend and former teammate Javier Báez.
David Peterson, a late addition to the All-Star squad, fired a scoreless fourth inning in his first midsummer classic. Peterson struck out Tigers outfielder Riley Greene, and worked around a pair of two-out singles to avoid damage. It was the first scoreless appearance by a Met pitcher in the All-Star Game since Jacob deGrom in 2019.
The fourth inning marked the first time that three Mets — Lindor, Alonso, and Peterson — took the field together in an All-Star Game since David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Carlos Beltran started for the N.L. in 2007 at San Francisco. All three Mets joined forces to retire crosstown rival Aaron Judge, with the two-time MVP grounding a sinker from Peterson to Lindor at short, who fired it across the diamond to Alonso to record the 6-3 putout.
The sound of Narco’s trumpets in the top of the ninth inning announced the arrival of Edwin Díaz, who had yet to pitch as a Met in the All-Star Game despite being selected in 2022. Díaz was asked to clean up Padres reliever Robert Suarez’s mess, entering with the tying run on second and one out. Diaz got Jazz Chisholm Jr. to ground out, putting the N.L. one out from victory, but the Guardians’ pesky Steven Kwan battled in a seven-pitch at-bat, eventually tying the game on a ground ball slapped against the shift. Díaz bounced back with an inning-ending strikeout of Randy Arozarena, retiring the Mariners slugger looking on an overturned call due to the game’s automated ball-strike challenge system.
Díaz had the opportunity to become the fourth Met to record a save in an All-Star Game, joining Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Sid Fernandez. Instead, Díaz found himself pinned with a hard-luck blown save.
The Mets, sitting 0.5 games back of the Phillies for the top spot in the N.L. East, will begin the second half with a three-game set against the Reds at Citi Field this weekend. The team is yet to announce how their rotation will line up following the All-Star break, but with Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga back off the Injured List, the Mets hope to proceed through the summer with a stronger starting staff.