Umpire’s nudging led to Pete Alonso Mets helmet tip

Pete Alonso came to the plate to a standing ovation from much of the sold-out Citi Field crowd in the bottom of the first in what could have been his final game there as a Met.

The first baseman said the reaction caught him off guard, so much so that he didn’t know what to do.

Alonso said home plate umpire John Libka had a message for him when he got into the box.

“John said, ‘Are you gonna tip your cap or something? I can give you time,’ ” Alonso said after the Mets’ 2-1 win over Philadelphia. “I said, ‘What?’ I was worried about my at-bat, but [thought] ‘Yeah, I should.’ I’m happy John reminded me.”

It was the first of four loud ovations for Alonso, who is headed to free agency for the first time.

If things go well for the Mets over the next couple of weeks, though, he could be back again.

And Sunday’s win over the Phillies helped their cause, since Alonso said he had a similar mentality as Carlos Mendoza: He’s wasn’t looking at Sunday’s game as anything final in Queens.

The Mets are two games ahead of the Braves for the final NL wild card with the series between the two set to begin in Atlanta on Tuesday and asked about Sunday potentially being his final game at Citi Field, Alonso said beforehand, “In my mind, it isn’t.”

In order for the Mets to play at Citi Field again, they would likely have to make it to the NLDS, since all the wild card series games are at the higher seed.

“I’m really excited for this opportunity that we worked so hard for this year,’’ Alonso said. “Today is not about me. This about us and who we are. This is about the 2024 Mets. From where we’ve come as a group, we’ve come so far. We just need to finish.”

It’s something they didn’t do in 2022 when a three-game sweep at the hands of the Braves in Atlanta in the middle of September helped cost the Mets a division title.

Alonso is confident they will close strong on the road this time around to secure a wild card spot.

Following Monday’s off day, the Mets will see how the ‘24 season will end up.

“I’m excited,’’ Alonso said. “We’re playing meaningful baseball. This is what we prepared for all year and now it’s here. Now we’ve got to go do it.”

Since the end of May, the Mets still have the best record in the majors, which also has Alonso and the Mets feeling good with a week left.

“We’ve played excellent baseball for a really long time now,’’ Alonso said. “And I think people are gonna think of the 2024 Mets with ‘Oh my God’ or Grimace, but the one word that for me comes to mind is ‘resilient.’ We’ve earned the right to be in this position and to be a part of this group has been really, really special.”

Sunday was another example, even if Alonso went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

“It was incredible, storybook stuff right there,’’ Alonso said of the fan reaction. “It’s remarkable to see and feel that appreciation from a packed house like that.”

And it was better that it came in another victory.

“That was a gritty team win,’’ Alonso said. “This is what our identity is. A game like this shows who the 2024 Mets are.”

They’ve put themselves in a good spot heading into the last week.

“We’ve done a really good job this series [against the Phillies] of playing quality baseball so far,” the first baseman said. “We just need to take it day by day. We’ve really built ourselves a wonderful opportunity. It’s an honor to play with this team. It’s sick putting on the orange and blue every day. I love it.”