Mets' Alonso reaches four-gone conclusion

Fans around the Eastern League better get a good look at Peter Alonso. The chances he remains in upstate New York grow slimmer with each passing day.
The Mets No. 4 prospect homered for the fourth straight game and finished with three hits and three runs scored as Double-A Binghamton rallied to defeat Erie, 6-4, in 10 innings at UPMC Park. Alonso leads the circuit in batting with a .403 average and his seven long balls moved him into tie for the EL lead with Trenton's Jhalan Jackson. His 18 RBIs stand second to top Blue Jays prospectVladimir Guerrero Jr. with 25. 

Gameday box score
"It's not common [to be this locked in], but I have been before," said Alonso, who has put together a slash line of .403/.500/.778 in his first 20 games of 2018. "I felt like this in the playoffs during my junior year [at the University of Florida]. It's a mind-set for me right now. I've revamped things and I've told myself I want to make as much noise as possible. I'm looking to pop some eyes open and make it to the big leagues. That's what every Minor Leaguer aspires to do and I want to show them what I can do."
Alonso grounded out in his first at-bat before singling to center field and scoring on Nick Sergakis' groundout in the fourth inning. The 23-year-old extended the Rumble Ponies' lead with a two-run homer to right-center in the fifth.

After bouncing into a double play in the seventh, Alonso singled to left and scored on another groundout by Sergakis. It was Alonso's third three-hit game of the season, all of which have come in the past week. He's collected multiple hits in five of his last games to raise his average 99 points in that span.
"I approach every at-bat the same," the first baseman said. "I want to do damage. I got a slider up and was able to get enough of the barrel on the ball to do something good. The key to hitting with guys on base, and in particular, late in the game is to shorten your swing and focus on taking a good pass. I don't want to deviate from my plan in those instances. It's been working for me and I was really happy to help out in that situation."
Taken in the second round of the 2016 Draft, Alonso has battled injuries in each of his first two professional seasons. He hit .321/.382/.537 in 30 games with Class A Short Season Brooklyn in 2016 before missing the rest of the season with a broken finger. A broken left hand cost him six weeks last year, but he still amassed 47 extra-base hits -- including 18 homers -- and 63 RBIs in 93 games between Class A Advanced St. Lucie and Binghamton.

"Health is a huge thing and an important goal for me," Alonso said. "A pitch broke my hand last year and I broke my pinkie diving into second the year before. That kind of stuff is going to happen. I'd rather get hurt during hustle plays or something like that than doing it off the field. You can't control it so you just go out there and play."
Mets 17th-ranked prospect Jhoan Urena, Matt Oberste and Kevin Taylor added two hits apiece for the Rumble Ponies. Oberste drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the 10th.
Joshua Torres (2-0) struck out three and walked one over two hitless innings while Tyler Bashlor worked around a hit in the 10th, striking out one, to earn his fourth save.
Tigers No. 5 prospect Jake Rogers collected three hits and an RBI while Josh Lester tripled, doubled and drove in a run.
Erie starter Tyler Alexander allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings. Detroit's 19th-ranked prospect struck out five.