We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.

No ad available

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

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.

No ad available
Live updates
 

Nola/Phillies probably fortunate that inning wasn't worse

Nola gave up a single after the Alonso homer and then the Winker deep fly play happened with shaky defender Castellanos in right making the tough grab. Starling Marte just missed one, hitting it a bit too high. Tyrone Taylor crushed a foul ball down the line.

 

Yeah, it's an out. That's the correct call. Nice play by Castellanos. Not especially graceful, but he got the out.

 

Yeah, that's on the transfer. But who knows with replay.

 

Mets strike first with Alonso bomb

Pete Alonso, who had the biggest home run of his career in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, starts the scoring here with another opposite-field shot. 

In case you haven't heard -- and you'll hear it plenty more -- Alonso is a free agent after the season. 

Alonso is very familiar with Phillies starter Aaron Nola. He came into the game having seen him 54 times, hitting .320/.370/.680 with three doubles and five homers. 

The Mets grab a 1-0 lead in the second. 

 

Mets lead 1-0 on Alonso home run

Credit the power of the pumpkin

 

Interesting nugget on the broadcast

Sean Manaea warms up using his crossfire in a manner I've never seen. In the bullpen with side-by-side mound setups, he uses the rubber on the left and throws to a catcher behind home plate on the right side. 

 

Still 0-0 through 1 1/2 innings.

 

1-2-3 for Nola, too

Only one hard-hit ball there (Lindor's flyout) along with two strikeouts.

 

Chipper Jones famously named a child of his "Shea" after Shea Stadium, the former home of the Mets. He hit .313/.407/.557 with 19 homers in 377 PA there.

 

Impressed at Utley. Wouldn't have guessed that despite knowing his rep against the Mets.

No ad available
 

It is not Harper. Giancarlo Stanton has 24 HR in 255 PA as a visitor at Citi Field. Chase Utley is second with 14 HR in 254 PA. Harper is tied with Utiley with 14 HR, but in 380 PA.

 

1-2-3 first

Manaea got the outs and that is what mattered, but if any pro-Phillies people are looking for a silver lining, the Phillies hit three balls at least 106 m.p.h. Over 95 is considered hit hard, so, yes, they hit Manaea hard there. 

 

Bryce Harper has to be the all-time home run leader at Citi Field among visiting players, right? Now I'm curious. I'm gonna check.

 

Nice play by Lindor to end the top of the first. Nola time.

 

Feels like you regret it the first time nature calls, at latest.

 

So when you wear an entire Grimace suit to a game (or any full-body costume), surely you regret it like 90 minutes in (or sooner), right? 

 

Ready to go!

Plenty of Grimace and OMG in the crowd. And it's playoff baseball time. 

The Mets haven't been home in a loooooooong time.

 

Mets lineup

They'll be behind 

 

Phillies lineup

Here's how they'll line up behind Aaron Nola:

 

Welcome to our Game 3 coverage

We're about 15 minutes from first pitch.

No ad available
2 of 2
No ad available