Playing their first home game in 16 days, the New York Mets seized control of the National League Division Series with a 7-2 win over the Phillies on Tuesday, pushing Philadelphia to the brink of elimination.
New York takes a 2-1 series lead into Game 4 on Wednesday at Citi Field and can secure the franchise’s first NLCS berth since 2015. Meanwhile, the NL East champion Phillies will try to keep their season alive and send the series back to Citizens Bank Park.
‘The atmosphere was absolutely incredible,’ Mets first baseman Pete Alonso told SNY after the game. ‘I mean the fans brought it from pitch one to the last out, and we need more of that tomorrow.’
Solo home runs from Pete Alonso (second inning) and Jesse Winker (fourth) put the Mets in front, but Starling Marte’s two-run single in the seventh was the big blow when it looked like the Phillies were about to escape a bases-loaded and nobody out situation, extending the lead to 4-0. Infielder Jose Iglesias gave the Mets further insurance with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
Mets starter Sean Manaea was spectacular in the victory, pitching into the eighth inning after seven scoreless frames before the bullpen took over. Trailing 6-0 at the time, the Phillies scored two runs in the top of the eighth and got the tying run into the on-deck circle, but the Mets managed to escape without further damage and ultimately added another run of their own.
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‘They’re an amazing team over there,’ Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor told Fox. ‘Tomorrow, we need to come out and give everything.’
The Phillies will turn to lefty Ranger Suarez to save their season Wednesday, while the Mets will counter with fellow southpaw Jose Quintana.
‘If we’re able to come in and scrape out a win here,’ Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos told reporters after the loss. ‘I know that they do not want to go back to Philly for a Game 5.’
Could Zack Wheeler pitch in Game 4?
Asked after the game if ace Zack Wheeler would be available in Thursday’s do-or-die Game 4, Phillies manager Rob Thompson said ‘I think everybody is available tomorrow.’
Wheeler, a Cy Young candidate and former Met, dominated the Mets for seven innings in Game 1 but only got one run in support and New York pounced on the Phillies bullpen, going on to notch a comeback win.
Here’s how Tuesday’s game unfolded:
Could Phillies use Zack Wheeler in Game 4?
Phillies add a pair in the eighth: Mets up 6-2
Mets starter Sean Manaea was pulled after giving up a leadoff single in the eighth, giving way to Phil Maton. Maton struck out pinch-hitter Brandon Marsh but walked Kyle Schwarber. Bryce Harper’s two-out RBI single made it 6-1, with Mets manager Carlos Mendoza bringing in Ryne Stanek to replace Maton. Nick Castellanos followed with an RBI on Stanek’s first pitch to cut the deficit to 6-2, but Alec Bohm flied out on the first pitch he saw to end the frame.
Mets add two more: 6-0 heading into eighth inning
Jose Iglesias atoned for his bases-loaded ground earlier in the game with a two-run single that extended the Mets’ lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the seventh.
Jose Alvarado got the first two outs of the frame but Mark Vientos started the rally by hitting an infield single that deflected off the pitcher. Alvarado proceeded to walk Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso to set up Iglesias’ single up the middle.
Mets tack on with two outs, lead 4-0 through six
Mark Vientos led off the bottom of the sixth with a single against Aaron Nola, who then walked Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso to load the bases. Phillies manager Rob Thompson replaced Nola with Orion Kerkering and it looked like the reliever was going to get out of the jam, getting Jose Iglesias to hit into an infield force play and Jesse Winker to fly out to left, not deep enough to bring Nimmo in from home.
But Starling Marte finally broke through with a two-RBI single to center field to extend New York’s lead to 4-0.
Sean Manaea works out of sixth-inning trouble
Mets starter Sean Manaea walked Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner to lead off the top of the sixth, but struck out Bryce Harper and got Game 2 hero Nick Castellanos to line into an inning-ending double play – sending the game to the bottom of the sixth with the Mets leading 2-0.
The left-hander has 81 pitches in six innings of work.
Jesse Winker home run makes it 2-0
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Jesse Winker homered down the right field off Aaron Nola to expand the Mets lead to 2-0.
The Mets acquired Winker ahead of the trade deadline from the Washington Nationals.
Tyrone Taylor guns down Bohm, Mets still hold 1-0 lead
Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor gunned down Alec Bohm trying to reach second after hitting a ball into the right-center field gap that skipped up against the wall, a perfect throw from the edge of the warning track that allowed Francisco Lindor to get the tag on Bohm in the top of the fourth.
Pete Alonso home run gives Mets second-inning lead
Pete Alonso led off the bottom of the second with an opposite-field solo home run against Phillies starter Aaron Nola, giving the Mets an early 1-0 lead.
It’s Alonso’s third home run this postseason following his winner in Game 3 of the NL wild-card series and a solo shot in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday.
Phillies vs. Mets NLDS Game 3 underway
Starters Sean Manaea and Aaron Nola each retired their opponents in order in the first inning at Citi Field and we are scoreless heading into the second inning of this pivotal clash in Queens.
Francisco Lindor on Mets returning home
Speaking to reporters before Tuesday’s game at Citi Field, shortstop Francisco Lindor joked that ‘we’ve got to play here otherwise we get booed here too,’ having now played 11 consecutive road games including the playoffs.
‘It’s definitely going to bring a different energy being home here, for sure. But at the end of the day, we were giving everything we had on the road, and we’re going to do the same thing here at home. It’s one of those where it don’t matter where we’re playing, we’ve got to go out there and give everything we got.
‘We understand that nobody cares what we did yesterday. We’ve got to focus on today. And nobody cares what we’re going to do tomorrow. Everything is about today. So this is a great market because it demands the best out of you day-in and day-out, and nobody cares, like I said, nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you’re going to do tomorrow.
‘So it’s a good place to be at this time of the year because that’s what you’ve got to focus on. You’ve got to focus on the game today and that’s it.
‘So I’m excited. I’m excited. I think the fans are going to go out there and be super loud. It would be cool to see a loud meter to actually see which stadium gets the loudest throughout the league. I think that would be something really cool.’
Phillies lineup for NLDS Game 3
Kyle Schwarber (L) DH
Trea Turner (R) SS
Bryce Harper (L) 1B
Nick Castellanos (R) RF
Alec Bohm (R) 3B
J.T. Realmuto (R) C
Austin Hays (R) LF
Edmundo Sosa (R) 2B
Johan Rojas (R) CF
Mets lineup for Game 3
Francisco Lindor (S) SS
Mark Vientos (R) 3B
Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
Pete Alonso (R) 1B
Jose Iglesias (R) 2B
Jesse Winker (L) DH
Starling Marte (R) RF
Tyrone Taylor (R) CF
Francisco Alvarez (R) C
Mets’ ‘traveling circus’ finally returns to Queens
PHILADELPHIA — Harrison Bader has deemed the New York Mets a ‘traveling circus’ over the last two weeks.
And what a fun act it has been as it continues to refine its performance in the postseason. There’s been magic, high-wire acts and a little bit of clowning around in the clubhouse following emotional victories.
After two weeks away, expect plenty of fanfare when the Mets return to their home at Citi Field for Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the rival Phillies at 5:08 p.m. on Tuesday, even following a riveting 7-6 walk-off loss on Sunday afternoon.
‘This is what everybody wants out of October baseball,’ Brandon Nimmo said. ‘I think we put on quite a show for everybody in attendance and everybody watching on TV. It’s really fun to play baseball like this. That was, again, just an instant classic game.’
– Andrew Tredinnick, NorthJersey.com
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