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Pete Alonso hits home run to fan dressed as polar bear to cap epic Orioles comeback

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh04/14/26griffin_mcveigh

Camden Yards appeared to be in for a quiet night after the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks went up 7-0 through five innings. But a monster comeback began in the sixth, only for Pete Alonso to put the finishing touches on it one frame later. Alonso hit a monster home run to left-center field, sending Baltimore Orioles fans into a frenzy.

And the ball’s landing spot could not have been any better. Alonso found a way to angle the homer right at a fan wearing a polar bear — his long-time nickname — mask. MASN color commentator Ben McDonald could only laugh at the matter. “Ha ha,” he said. “The polar bear in the house.” Who knows if he was talking about Alonso or the fan.

With a runner already on base, Baltimore took the lead at 8-7. You can check out the full moment here.

Baltimore went on to add one more run in the eighth inning. Ryan Helsey, another new signing for the ballclub, then came out of the bullpen for the save opportunity. Helsey got the job done and the Orioles got a much-needed victory to open the series.

Alonso plays the role of hero to help Baltimore to 9-7 early in the season. They are now tied for first place in the AL East with the New York Yankees. Both of them are a half-game up on the Tampa Bay Rays, who enjoyed a day off.

Tuesday brings another game vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET. O’s manager Craig Albernaz might not have to think too much about who the first name on the lineup card is.

Pete Alonso still finding feet during first season in Baltimore

The fans in Baltimore might already love Alonso but the on-field performances have been tough at times. Entering Monday night’s game, the first basemen only had a batting average of .190 with one home run and five RBIs. Alonso’s OPS sat at .581, and the OPS+ was 71. Not exactly the kind of stretch you want to start out a season, let alone a debut one for a new team.

Hitting those kinds of home runs is a great way to only add to the fanfare, though. Go-ahead shots are welcomed by any team at any point of the season. Whether it’s April 14 or the middle of September, the Camden Yards crowd loved what they got from the Polar Bear.