In a thrilling matchup at Citi Field, the New York Mets claimed a crucial 7-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of their NL Division Series. The win propelled the Mets to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, with a chance to advance to the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres with a win in Game 4.
Sean Manaea shone brightly, taking a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning and striking out six while walking two. The left-hander received a rousing ovation from the sellout crowd of 44,093 as he exited the game, earning his first playoff win after entering with a 0-3 record and 10.66 ERA in postseason play.
Pete Alonso continued his dominance over Aaron Nola, launching a home run off the Phillies’ starter in the second inning. It was Alonso’s second homer of the series and third in the Mets’ last four playoff games, all of which have been to the opposite field. The slugger’s impressive display marked his sixth career homer off Nola, with whom he has a storied history dating back to their college days in the Southeastern Conference.
Jesse Winker also made his mark, blasting a solo shot in the fourth inning for his first career postseason homer. Starling Marte contributed a pivotal two-run single, while Francisco Lindor, playing his first home game since September 8 due to a back injury, added a run-scoring double in the eighth.
The Phillies threatened in the sixth, but Manaea escaped trouble by striking out Bryce Harper on three off-speed pitches. They eventually got on the board in the eighth, with RBI singles from Harper and Nick Castellanos, but Ryne Stanek shut the door to secure the Mets’ victory.
Game 4 is set for Wednesday, with All-Star Ranger Suarez scheduled to start for Philadelphia against fellow lefty Jose Quintana.
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