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Mets vs. Phillies score: New York takes NLDS Game 3 behind Sean Manaea, pushes Philly to brink of elimination

Manaea delivered seven strong innings, and the Mets got multiple clutch hits in the Game 3 win

The new iteration of the Miracle Mets are now just one game away from the first NLCS appearance for the franchise since 2015. Their win in Game 3 of the NLDS Tuesday against the Phillies in Citi Field was a lot more by the book. It was not a miracle. Their fans probably appreciated that they got a break from badly sweating things out and instead were simply the better team, nearly from start to finish, in this 7-2 win. Things did get a little dicey in the eighth, but the Phillies never brought the tying run to the plate in the late frames.

Pete Alonso got the scoring started with an opposite field home run.

He came into the game having had great regular-season success against Phillies starter Aaron Nola. He'd seen him 54 times, hitting .320/.370/.680 with three doubles and five homers.

Alonso ended up taking a walk from Nola in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Mets the bases loaded with nobody out. They were holding a tenuous, 2-0, lead at the time. It ended up being a huge walk by Alonso. Later in the inning, Starling Marte gave the Mets a little extra insurance with a two-RBI single with two outs.

In the seventh inning, Alonso took another walk as part of a rally that plated two runs, this time on a Jose Iglesias single.

It's interesting here to consider where the Mets came from. Heading into June, they not only looked like a trade deadline seller, but they looked like the biggest seller in baseball. Alonso was going to be on that list as a free-agent-to-be. Marte might've been, as he's only under team control through next season. Who knows with Iglesias, as he'd been in the minors until May 31. Jesse Winker, who hit the home run that made it 2-0, wasn't on the team.

Sean Manaea, who has a one-year deal with a player option, absolutely would've been a trade candidate.

And though Alonso, Marte, Iglesias, Winker and others were valuable in Game 3, the top Mets player in this one was Manaea.

In seven innings of work, the left-handed starter held the powerful Phillies' offense scoreless. He only gave up three hits and two walks -- he did hit two batters, but worked around that traffic. Most importantly, Manaea kept the Phillies off the board through the early innings. The Mets could not afford to dip deep into their bullpen early in the game.

The Phillies were able to rally for two runs in the top of the eighth, but the Mets had a nice enough cushion that the tying run never came to the plate. They had played well enough through seven innings that they could afford the small hiccup.

Plus, they tacked back on in the bottom of the eighth.

In totality, Game 3 was yet another reminder that the Mets are doing special things here in 2024. They had the best record in baseball after June 2, a run during which they dealt with trade rumors and fended them off with their outstanding play. Later, they had to deal with a funky travel schedule the last week of the regular season and were alarmingly close to elimination in Game 3 in Milwaukee last week.

They now have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five NLDS with a home game coming Wednesday. There'll be no shortage of Grimace, pumpkins and "OMG" references in the crowd. On the field, the Mets will simply look to keep playing the way they have the last four-plus months.

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Mets 7, Phillies 2: New York takes 2-1 series lead in NLDS

The Mets are one win away from the NLCS. Tuesday evening at Citi Field, the Mets outlasted the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS, and once again shut down Philadelphia's offense through the first 6+ innings. Sean Manaea was brilliant, throwing seven innings plus one batter and getting tagged for a single run. He struck out six.

Pete Alonso opened the scoring with a solo homer in the second inning, his third opposite field blast in the last four games. Jesse Winker added a solo homer in the fourth. The Mets broke it open against the Philadelphia bullpen once Aaron Nola was out of the game. Starling Marte singled home two in the sixth, Jose Iglesias did the same in the seventh, then Francisco Lindor added another run in the eighth. The Mets have hit the Phillies' bullpen hard this series.

It was too little, too late by time the Phillies generated any offense. They scratched across two runs against New York's bullpen in the eighth inning -- one run was charged to Manaea -- to get to within 6-2, but the Phillies stranded runners on the corners. That was Philadelphia's best chance to get back into Game 3. They needed more than two runs there and didn't get them. The Mets seemed to get every big hit. The Phillies kept wasting opportunities.

The only silver lining for the Phillies is they forced the Mets to use some of their exhausted high leverage relievers. Phil Maton needed 23 pitches to get two outs and Ryne Stanek was asked to get the final four outs. Closer Edwin Díaz was able to get a rest -- he threw 130 pitches in the previous nine days -- though the setup crew could be compromised for Game 4 on Wednesday. That's the smallest of silver linings for Philadelphia.

The Mets will look to punch their ticket to the NLCS in Game 4 on Wednesday at Citi Field. Lefties Jose Quintana and Ranger Suárez are the scheduled starting pitchers. New York has not been to the NLCS since 2015.

 

Heading to the ninth. Last chance for romance for the Phillies. It's 7-2 Mets.

 

Alec Bohm flies out to end the eighth. The Phillies needed more that inning to make things really interesting. The Mets will take at least a 6-2 lead into the ninth.

 

Now it's 6-2 on a Nick Castellanos single. The tying run is on deck.

 

Harper gets the Phillies on the board

He singled in a run. It's 6-1 and the Phillies have runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth. They forced Phil Maton to throw 23 pitches, and now Ryne Stanek is coming in. Forcing the Mets to churn through some tired high leverage arms on a night Sean Manaea went seven innings is a small victory for the Phillies, but only a small one.

 

An infield single and Manaea's night is over. Phil Maton is coming in.

 

Mets up 6-0 through seven

Jose Iglesias drives in two more insurance runs. The Mets are six outs away from a 2-1 series lead. Looks like Sean Manaea is coming back out for the eighth. He's at 87 pitches. There have been some terrific pitching performances this postseason. Manaea today, Zack Wheeler in Game 1, Tarik Skubal in his two starts, Michael King against the Braves, Corbin Burnes and Cole Ragans in their Wild Card Series matchup, etc.

 

Sean Manaea walked the first two batters to start the sixth. The Phillies had a chance to get him out of the game there. Instead, he retired the next six batters on only 13 pitches.

 

Mets open it up 

Starling Marte with a bases-loaded knock to expand the Mets' lead from two runs to four. Take a look:

Looked like the Phillies might escape without suffering more damage after Aaron Nola departed. Not so.

 

Iglesias (RHB), Winker (LHB), Marte (RHB) coming up after Alonso walked to load the bases. Not too long ago this would have been a four-pitcher inning. Shoutout to the three-batter minimum.

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Sosa recovers to get the force out at home. Initially had the ball ride up his palm.

 

The bases are full of Met with no outs. Nola's day is done.

 

That was a close call on the full count pitch.

 

A Mark Vientos single and a Brandon Nimmo walk put two on with no outs for Pete Alonso. I'm a bit surprised Nola is staying in to face him given the homer earlier in this game and his success against him throughout his career.

 

Mets still up 2-0 through six

That rallied died quick. Bryce Harper struck out on three pitches (a rare awful at-bat for him), then Nick Castellanos lined into a double play at second base.
 

That had the potential to be a huge inning for the Phillies. Instead, the Mets get out of it quickly and without damage.

 

Manaea gives up a liner to Castellanos ... but it's right at a fielder and the Mets turn a double play.

 

Manaea gets Harper to swing and miss on three straight. All offspeed.

 

And now Turner walks. Two on with no outs.

 

Reed Garrett is warming.

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Manaea walks Schwarber to start the sixth after getting ahead in the count 0-2. The Phillies have the 2-3-4 hitters coming up. This is the inning they have to break through to get into the tired Mets bullpen.

 

Nola has struck out four straight since Winker's homer. He's been burned by two solo homers, but otherwise has been quite good. It's 2-0 Mets through five.

 

Winker with a solo shot

It's 2-0 Mets in the fourth. This was long gone and Jesse Winker knew it:

That was Winker's second hit of the postseason but also the sixth time he's been on base. Also has two walks and two hit-by-pitches. The Mets picked him up on the cheap at the trade deadline, and while he wasn't great down the stretch, he was better than J.D. Martinez, who looks to have aged out as a useful hitter. Winker's come in handy in October.

Sean Manaea has been in control pretty much all game. Just two hits and two hit batters in four innings. Then again, Luis Severino was in complete control of Game 2 until suddenly he wasn't. Long way to go in this one.

 

That was a terrific throw by Tyrone Taylor. That's a great play by him more than a dumb baserunning mistake by Bohm.
 

Bohm thrown out at second trying to turn a single into a double. Two outs here in the fourth.

 

Mets put their leadoff hitter on in the third but they can't do any further damage. Still 1-0 through three.

 

Harper grounds out back to Manaea to end the inning. It's 1-0 Mets 2.5 innings into Game 3.

 

The Phillies have their first hit. Turner singles to left to put on with two outs for Harper here in the third.

 

Manaea hits another

Meanwhile, the Phillies don't yet have a hit or walk, but Sean Manaea has hit them twice.

 

Sosa taking one for the team to get on base to begin the third.

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