Mets defeated Phillies 7-2 behind Alonso and Manaea to take a 2-1 lead in the NLDS

NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso hit another home run off Aaron Nola and Sean Manaea pitched a two-hit shutout in the eighth inning as the New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 in the third game of their NL Division Series on Tuesday defeated.

Jesse Winker also singled and Starling Marte had a game-tying two-run single that helped the wild-card Mets, playing their first home game in 16 days, take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five set .

Game 4 takes place on Wednesday. All-Star Ranger Suárez is scheduled to play for Philadelphia against fellow left winger Jose Quintana. A win puts New York in the National League Championship Series where they will face the Los Angeles Dodgers or the San Diego Padres.

The Mets have never had a victory celebration at Citi Field, which opened in 2009.

“We want to finish the whole thing and be done. They want to try to extend the series and return to Philadelphia. So it’s a battle of wills tomorrow and we’ll see what happens,” New York outfielder Brandon Nimmo said.

After reaching the 2022 World Series and Game 7 of the NLCS last year, the NL East champion Phillies are on the verge of an early exit from the playoffs at the hands of the rival Mets.

“I know it came out that I had spoken to the team,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Basically it's quite simple: you come here tomorrow and I told them it's the most resilient club I've ever been at. That's what they care about. For them it's all about toughness, fighting and playing together. That’s what we have to do and just focus on one game.”

Manaea was lifted after allowing an infield single early in the eighth. The big left-hander, who emerged as New York's star in the second half of the season, received hearty pats on the back from his teammates and a standing ovation from the towel-waving sellout crowd of 44,093 as he strolled down the hill.

He brought his glove to his lips and looked skyward.

“That was for my Aunt Mabel. I just received news that she passed away early this morning,” Manaea said. “So the game was for them.”

Aided by Tyrone Taylor's terrific throw from deep center field that knocked down a runner on second base in the fourth, Manaea earned its first playoff victory after going 0-3 with a 10.66 ERA in his postseason career game had come. He struck out six and walked two.

“I felt like he wanted that moment,” his teammate said Francisco Lindor said. “He gave everything he had.”

Manaea held on to a 2-0 lead and escaped major trouble in the sixth period. After issuing consecutive walks to start the inning, he received a mound visit from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and struck out star slugger Bryce Harper on three off-speed pitches.

“I went right behind,” Manaea said.

Nick Castellanos then led an inning-ending double play as the Mets middle infield doubled Kyle Schwarber at second base. A pumped-up Manaea screamed “Let's go!” as he bounced off the hill.

Alonso sent Nola's first throw of the second pitch deep to the right. On his way to first base, he threw his bat high in the air as the ball reached the first row of the second deck.

It was Alonso's second home run of the Series and third in New York's last four playoff games. All of them were on the opposing field – the bat only went the other way on four of his 34 home runs during the regular season.

“Wherever it goes, if it happens, I’m just happy that it happens,” Alonso said. “If I hit balls the other way, that’s usually a good sign.”

Nola and Alonso have been feuding in the Southeastern Conference since their college days, but in the majors the duel was one-sided. It was Alonso's sixth career home run as a right-handed hitter, having entered the game with a .320 batting average and a 1.050 OPS in 54 appearances against him.

“He knows me. I know him,” said Alonso. “He’s a well-trained guy and he’s tough. I’m just happy that I managed to come through for the team right away.”

Thomson left Nola on the mound in the sixth and found Alonso, who drew New York's second straight walk after Mark Vientos' leadoff single.

With the bases loaded, Orion Kerkering replaced Nola and got two outs before Marte's two-run single made it 4-0.

Nimmo and Alonso drew back-to-back walks to load the bases again in the seventh before Jose Iglesias added a two-run single off Jose Ruiz with two outs.

Harper and Castellanos each had an RBI single in the eighth, but Ryne Stanek singled slumped Alec Bohm to end the inning.

Lindor, playing his first home game since Sept. 8 due to a back injury, hit a run-scoring double in the bottom half to make it 7-2.

The cocky Winker hit a solo shot in the fourth, all the while watching from home plate as his first career postseason home run flew into the second deck in right.

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Suárez, who went 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in three games against the Mets this season, had a 6.04 ERA in five starts in September, totaling just 22 1/3 innings. But he and the Phillies are confident he has found a mechanical solution after Suárez (12-8, 3.46 ERA) pitched well during an intrasquad game last week.

“What happens in September stays in September. It's time to turn the page. I just forget,” Suárez said through a translator. “We’re October vibes.”

Quintana (10-10, 3.75 ERA) pitched six shutout innings last Thursday in Milwaukee and earned a no-decision in the deciding Game 3 of a Wild Card Series. He was 1-0 with a 2.81 ERA in three starts against the Phillies this year and pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball against them for St. Louis in the 2022 playoffs.

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