Jesse Winker ended a Mets game with a walk-off home run and the celebration that followed was pure chaos. The at-bat built some tension early when the umpire gave a generous outside strike that Winker didn’t like. The pitcher tried to live on that edge, but missed twice. With the count 2-2, he came back in the zone, and Winker crushed it opposite field for the win. He stood and admired it, then slowly trotted the bases, unloading a helmet spike and soaking in the crowd. The celebration got loud and messy.
In the stands, fans battled for the homer ball. One guy in red snagged it on a bounce, stealing the moment from a blue-shirted fan who ended up on the ground, arms raised in disbelief. It looked like a Roman statue scene, one fan victorious, the other stunned. Back at home plate, Winker yelled, “Gotta touch home,” before launching himself onto the plate. Teammates mobbed him. Water and Gatorade flew everywhere. Pete Alonso grabbed him and soaked him with both, announcing “Gatorade first, then water,” trying to clean off the sticky mess.
Winker closed it out with hugs for the manager and teammates, all smiles. He mouthed that he was “born to be a Met” as everyone kept the energy high. Little kids in the crowd watched the chaos unfold, a bit confused by the flying fluids and yelling, but eventually joined the applause.