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Pete Alonso took it personally last October when the Mets were eliminated from the postseason with a loss to the Padres in the NL wild-card series.

Alonso says he took a “deep dive” during the off-season into examining where he could improve. The results have followed through the first three weeks of the regular season.

Alonso entered Friday night’s game against the Giants tied for the major league lead with nine homers.

“I just feel really good and in control right now, which is a really good feeling,” Alonso said. “I feel like I am more of a complete player. I feel like I am playing well on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively and I feel like I am running the bases well.”

The Mets had six victories in seven games to open this West Coast trip  as they arrived at Oracle Park on Friday, and Alonso’s hot bat ranked high on the list of reasons the team has succeeded in overcoming injuries within the starting rotation. 

On the trip, entering play, Alonso was 10-for-29 (.345) with three homers. That included a blast in Thursday’s series-opening victory against the Giants.

Gerrit Cole’s command of his pitches has him in total command of his opponents.

The Yankees ace continued his domination this season, firing a shutout with 10 strikeouts on the way to a 2-0 win over the Twins in The Bronx.

Cole allowed just three base runners all day — on two harmless singles and a walk — and recorded 27 outs on 109 pitches for his fourth career complete-game shutout.

“It’s just old school,” Cole said. “But we had our work cut out for us today. We were facing a great team and a great pitcher, so just more satisfied with the win.”

Cole shut down a Twins lineup that had exploded for 11 runs just three days earlier, allowing the Yankees (10-6) to earn a series split. He did so with a sharp fastball, spotting it just about wherever he wanted to and using it for seven of his strikeouts while mixing in a quality curveball, slider and changeup.

“When he’s able to do that, throw the fastball in all locations, it definitely opens up a lot of stuff,” catcher Jose Trevino said.

Multiple MLB owners are worried after New York Mets owner Steve Cohen went on an unprecedented shopping spree in free agency this off-season.

Some owners are reportedly concerned they won’t be able to compete for players and, inevitably, in games.

Other owners were fine with Cohen signing Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo, and Justin Verlander but thought landing Carlos Correa was “over the top.”

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said that Cohen’s spending was something that had to be “looked at” after the latter  dished out over $800 million to free agents.

The Mets’ total payroll for 2023 currently stands at around $500 million, which includes a luxury-tax penalty of over $100 million. Meanwhile, the Yankees have the second-highest projected payroll in baseball but are still 33% behind their crosstown rivals.

Cohen is by far the wealthiest MLB owner, with an estimated net worth of $17.4 billion.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz is not giving up on potentially playing in 2023 despite suffering what appeared to be a season-ending knee injury in the World Baseball Classic.

Diaz spoke to the media and raised the possibility of pitching again in 2023, saying it was his goal if some of his upcoming tests came back clean.

“I’m feeling great, we are working hard to see if I can come back. The doctors say I’m doing great,” Diaz said. “They want me to get my knee better first, then they will see how I respond in my strength, all these things I have to do. If the tests come back good, I might throw this year.”

Diaz pitching in 2023 is probably a long shot, but one he is unwilling to rule out at this point. He sounded optimistic after the injury, and the chances may be enhanced since his arm was not impacted.

Diaz was dominant in the closer role for the Mets in 2022, posting a 1.31 ERA with 32 saves.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Jeff Bezos “is probably one of the most competent business people in the world” who would make a “great owner” if he bought the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

Kraft, one of the NFL’s most powerful owners, hailed Bezos as a “tremendous operator” when asked about reports that the Amazon founder was looking into buying the Washington team from Daniel Snyder.

“For those of us that are privileged to own NFL franchises — it’s the one thing more than anything that I believe builds community and we need good operating people in their individual towns,” Kraft said.

There is growing chatter in business circles indicating that Bezos was looking to clear the way for a purchase of the Washington Commanders by selling The Washington Post.

KFC is about to add two new chicken sandwiches: the Ultimate BBQ KFC Chicken Sandwich and Spicy Slaw Chicken Sandwich.

• The Ultimate BBQ KFC Chicken Sandwich features an Extra Crispy, 100 percent white meat filet with KFC’s Honey BBQ sauce, crispy fried onions, hickory-smoked bacon, melted cheese and pickles all on a premium brioche bun. 
• The Spicy Slaw Chicken Sandwich consists of an Extra Crispy, 100 percent white meat filet is topped with cole slaw to perfectly cool down the heat of the spicy mayo, topped with pickles all on a premium brioche bun.

Both sandwiches are available a la carte or in a combo that also includes a medium drink and an individual side.

With a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Islanders were able to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was a victory felt across the five boroughs, as it marked a rare occasion for New York-area sports that hasn’t occurred in nearly 30 years.

With the Islanders clinching a playoff spot, all five of the greater New York City area’s hockey and basketball teams — the Islanders, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils in the NHL, and the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets in the NBA — have made the playoffs for the first time since 1994. 

The spring of 1994 was special for New York sports teams:

• The Rangers won the Stanley Cup to end a championship drought of more than 50 years — going through the Islanders and Devils in the process.
• The Knicks made the NBA Finals but lost to the Houston Rockets.

The secret to the Mets having a successful year is simple: Play the Marlins as often as possible.

The Mets snapped a three-game losing streak Friday with a 9-3 win over Miami in their home opener at Citi Field. They’ve now won four of five games against the Marlins this season — sandwiched around being swept in a three-game set in Milwaukee.

“The Brewers outplayed us, but we’ve got to turn the page,’’ Francisco Lindor said. “It’s part of being a good baseball team. Today was a good day for the New York Mets.”

Tylor Megill, filling in for the injured Justin Verlander, was excellent, tossing six scoreless innings. The Mets hardly missed Verlander, who hopes to be back from the strained muscle near his right armpit by the end of the month.

The Mets’ hitters, who had been quiet for much of the early part of the season, erupted for a season-high nine runs.

Dennis Santana gave up a three-run home run to former Yankee Garrett Cooper with two outs in the eighth to make things interesting, but Lindor and Pete Alonso homered in the bottom of the eighth to end any drama.  

The SuperSonic Double Stack Cheeseburger is back at Sonic.

The SuperSonic Double Stack Cheeseburger features two 100 percent pure seasoned beef patties stuffed with melty cheddar cheese and cheddar cheese sauce, and topped with grilled onions, crinkle-cut pickles, creamy mayo and classic mustard on a toasted brioche bun.

The returning fan-favorite cheeseburger last appeared on Sonic’s menu back in 2018.

You can find the SuperSonic Double Stack Cheeseburger at participating Sonic locations nationwide.

Applebee’s adds three new chicken sandwiches to the menu with the introduction of the new Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich and new Sweet & Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich.

The Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich features crispy chicken breast topped with two strips of applewood-smoked bacon, drizzled with house-made ranch dressing, plus pickles and shredded lettuce on a brioche bun.

The Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich comes with a grilled chicken breast, two strips of applewood-smoked bacon and house-made ranch dressing, all served on a brioche bun with pickles and shredded lettuce.

The Sweet & Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich features a crispy breaded chicken breast smothered in sweet Asian chile sauce and signature coleslaw on a brioche bun.

All three chicken sandwiches come with a side of classic fries.