Mets slugger Pete Alonso responds to antics of Cubs starter

It appears slugger Pete Alonso is not among members of the New York Mets bothered by the behavior of Chicago Cubs starter Marcus Stroman on Wednesday night. 

"Well, what do you want him to do? He threw eight innings and pitched really well," Alonso said of Stroman during a Thursday appearance on WFAN's "Carton and Roberts" program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy.

"He’s fired up. You know what? Don’t like it? We should have played better. When you don’t put up enough runs and a pitcher goes eight innings, you can do whatever you want." 

Stroman allowed two earned runs on four hits over eight innings en route to helping the Cubs earn a 4-2 win over the Mets on Wednesday night. The 32-year-old pounded his chest and appeared to talk trash toward the Mets' dugout after he finished the top of the eighth with an inning-ending double play. Anonymous New York players made it known after the game they were upset about the right-hander's antics. Meanwhile, Stroman said after the victory he did not view Wednesday's contest "as a revenge game" versus his previous employer. 

Stroman and Alonso were teammates during the 2019 and 2021 seasons (Stroman opted out of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign), and the "Polar Bear" insisted Thursday he has no problem with the former Met. 

"I like Marcus a lot," Alonso explained. "He’s definitely one of those guys where when you have him, he’s awesome. He pitches with fire and passion. He has an incredible work ethic. Me and him have hung out in a few offseasons. He’s a cool guy, and I thought he was a pretty good teammate from my experience...That’s the beautiful thing about sports. It brings out kid emotions in grown men...there’s people who have different perspectives, but that’s why it’s sports." 

The Mets and Cubs finish their midweek three-game series on Thursday night and won't meet again until Chicago travels to Citi Field in August. Logic suggests Stroman can probably expect a not-so-warm welcome from Mets fans if he pitches during that summer series.