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Alonso: Mets firing hitting coaches 'doesn't make sense right now'

Rich Schultz / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Monday night firings of New York Mets hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater came as a surprise to first baseman Pete Alonso.

Alonso said he cried after learning of the dismissals on Twitter, according to Tim Britton of The Athletic. The slugging first baseman added that he doesn't understand the timing of the moves.

"It's confusing for me," Alonso said. "And listen, I respect everybody who made that decision, but to me, it just doesn't make sense right now. But I know that the guys coming in, they're great minds, they're great people."

The Mets are 11-12 and have scored 76 runs, the fewest in Major League Baseball. They rank last in home runs (18) and 20th in OPS (.688).

The 26-year-old Alonso has been one of their better producers in the early going, batting .282/.354/.529 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 96 plate appearances.

However, key offseason acquisition Francisco Lindor hasn't seen his bat wake up. Although he's hitting .163 with one home run, he was similarly bothered by the firings.

"It broke my heart," Lindor said.

He added that his offensive shortcomings are on him and not Davis or any other hitting coach.

"Yeah, I am going through a slump. I am not performing to my best abilities. But Chili can't really hit for me," Lindor said.

The solution, as Alonso sees it, is to get back in the win column with consistency, starting with Tuesday.

"We've got to win a f---ing ballgame today," he said, according to Britton.

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