In a sport where the most successful players fail in most of their at-bats, Pete Alonso knows perfection is not possible. But that won’t stop him from trying.

The entire stretch has been happily surreal, from the prominent involvement of Grimace and a Latin pop star/utility infielder to a months-long playoff push that resulted in the Amazins clinching a Wild Card spot in Atlanta a day after the regular season was supposed to end.

The Mets played to plenty of contact on this night, but Alonso’s fifth-inning homer provided firepower in a 9-3 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Alonso launched a two-run, go-ahead blast in helping the Mets win their ninth straight game against the Cardinals dating to last season.