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Pete Alonso hit a game-winning home run for the Baltimore Orioles, caught by a fan dressed as a polar bear. This moment has gone viral, providing a potential boost for Alonso, who has struggled early in the season.
Watch Pete Alonso hit home run to the one Orioles fan at Camden Yards dressed as a polar bear originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After becoming one of the premier sluggers in the league during his seven-year tenure with the New York Mets, Pete Alonso has gotten off to a rather underwhelming start as a Baltimore Orioles.
Entering Monday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Alonso had just one home run and a sub-200 batting average. In other years, the Polar Bear's batting average took some time to heat up, but Baltimore fans needed him to jump out to a quick start to warrant the $155 million price tag they signed him for.
However, during his game-winning home run to keep the Orioles above a .500 win percentage, a moment stuck out to social media, and it might be the push Alonso needs to get some wind behind his sails. An Orioles superfan wearing a polar bear mask, repping Alonso's nickname, caught the go-ahead shot on the fly, and the clip went viral on social media.
Here's a video of the fun moment, and a look at Alonso's stats through his seven-year career with the Mets.
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With Baltimore down 7-1 to the Diamondbacks heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, many Orioles fans had already lost hope. The team looked bound to fall to 8-8 on the season.
However, after a big bottom of the sixth, the Orioles found themselves down just one run heading into the next inning. After Taylor Ward led off by reaching base on a hit-by-pitch, the Polar Bear stepped to the plate.
Alonso had gotten off to a slow start in Baltimore, entering the game with a sub-.200 batting average and only one home run. When his team needed him most, the former Met delivered, launching a go-ahead homer to give the Orioles their first lead of the game — and gifting Mr. Splash, an Orioles superfan who sprays fans with water, the ball in the process.
Here's an angle showing Mr. Splash in the left-center field stands catching Alonso's blast while wearing a polar bear mask.
Through 16 games with Baltimore, Alonso has a .213 average with two home runs and seven RBIs, along with a .691 OPS. Here are Alonso's previous season totals after seven years with the Mets.
| Season | Games | AVG | HRs | RBIs | OBP | OPS |
| 2019 | 161 | .260 | 53 | 120 | .358 | .941 |
| 2020 | 57 | .231 | 16 | 35 | .326 | .817 |
| 2021 | 152 | .262 | 37 | 94 | .344 | .863 |
| 2022 | 160 | .271 | 40 | 131 | .352 |
MORE:Why Pete Alonso is not an Oriole bust, according to a former GM
Pete Alonso hit a game-winning home run that helped the Baltimore Orioles maintain a winning record.
The fan dressed as a polar bear caught Alonso's home run, highlighting the connection to Alonso's nickname and creating a viral moment.
Before the home run, Alonso had only one home run and a batting average below .200, indicating a slow start to the season.
Pete Alonso signed with the Baltimore Orioles for $155 million, which raised expectations for his performance.

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| .869 |
| 2023 | 154 | .217 | 46 | 118 | .318 | .821 |
| 2024 | 162 | .240 | 34 | 88 | .329 | .871 |
| 2025 | 162 | .272 | 38 | 126 | .347 | .871 |
| TOTAL/Avg | 1,008 | .253 | 264 | 712 | .341 | .857 |