The Mets now have a 2-1 lead in the series.
In their first game at Citi Field in over two weeks, the Mets defeated the Phillies by a 7-2 score in a crucial Game 3 that gives them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five NLDS.
Sean Manaea was great, as he blanked the Phillies through the first seven innings of the game. The Mets’ lineup, meanwhile, wasted very little time in getting on the board. Pete Alonso hit a solo home run off Aaron Nola to open the scoring in the second. And Jesse Winker hit a no-doubt solo shot in the fourth to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
After Manaea bent but didn’t break in the top of the sixth, the Mets loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the inning. Jose Iglesias grounded into a fielder’s choice force out at the plate. On that play, Phillies second baseman Edmundo Sosa bobbled the ball but recovered and retired the slow-running Mark Vientos at the plate.
Winker followed that up with a fly ball out to relatively shallow left field, and the Mets opted not to have Brandon Nimmo tag up. With two outs, the bases still loaded, and just a two-run lead, it felt like the Mets couldn’t afford not to score. Thankfully, Starling Marte smoked a single to center field, plating the Mets’ third and fourth runs of the night. That turned out to be pretty, pretty important.
Manaea set the Phillies down in order quickly in the top of the seventh, and the Mets loaded the bases again in the bottom of the inning—all with two outs—when Vientos reached on a ball that ricocheted off José Alvarado’s foot and Alvarado proceeded to walk the next two batters he faced. The Phillies went to José Ruiz, who came in and served up a single to Jose Iglesias that gave the Mets a far more comfortable 6-0 lead. The inning ended at the end of that play, as the Phillies threw the ball away and Alonso tried to score, too, but was thrown out by a wide margin at the plate.
Still, there was little to complain about at the time. And Manaea started the eighth inning but gave up an infield single to begin the inning and pulled for Phil Maton. Things got a little bit interesting from there, as Maton notched a strikeout but then struggled to throw strikes, walking Kyle Schwarber. He retired Trea Turner on a relatively rare 1-unassisted play on a slow roller down the first base line, but with runners on second and third, he fell behind Bryce Harper by throwing three straight balls.
All things considered, Harper’s RBI single that plated the Phillies’ first run of the night—officially charged to Manaea—wasn’t that bad of an outcome. But Carlos Mendoza had seen enough from Maton and went to Ryne Stanek.
Stanek allowed an RBI single to Nick Castellanos, but he got Alec Bohm to fly out weakly to center field to end the inning. That would have very likely been enough, but the Mets were able to eke out another run in the bottom of the eighth that likely saved Edwin Díaz from having to make an appearance in the game.
Carlos Estévez took over for the Phillies to start the bottom of the eighth and walked J.D. Martinez to start it. He struck out Luisangel Acuña with ease, but when he induced a soft grounder back to the mound from Tyrone Taylor, he tried to barehand the ball, botched it, and tried to scoop it over to first base with his glove, failing to pick up the ball at all in the process.
A strikeout of Francisco Alvarez almost got Estévez off the hook, but Francisco Lindor smoked a double down the line to bring home the Mets’ seventh run of the night. That was it for the Mets’ scoring, but it was plenty.
Stanek remained in the game for the ninth and set the Phillies down in order. Game 4 is set for 5:08 PM EDT tomorrow. Can’t wait. #LoveTheMets
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Big Mets winner: Sean Manaea, +34.9% WPA
Big Mets loser: none!
Mets pitchers: +35.6% WPA
Mets hitters: +14.4% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Nick Castellanos lines into a double play to end the top of the sixth, +12.2% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Trea Turner walks in the top of the sixth, -8.6% WPA