NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso hit another homer off Aaron Nola and Sean Manaea had two hits in the eighth inning as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 on Tuesday in Game 3 of their NL Division Series. .
Jesse Winger also went deep, and Starling Marte helped the wild-card Mets play their first home game in 16 days and take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
In Game 4 on Wednesday, All-Star Ranger Suarez is scheduled to start against fellow lefty Jose Quintana in Philadelphia. A win advances New York to the National League Championship Series to face the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres.
The Mets have never had a successful celebration at Citi Field since it opened in 2009.
“It would be fantastic to do that, but we have to stay within ourselves,” Alonso 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 playoff exit at the hands of the rival Mets.
“I know I talked to the team,” manager Rob Thompson said. “Basically it’s very simple: You come here tomorrow, I told them. That’s what they’re all about. It’s all about toughness and fighting and playing together. That’s what we have to do, just focus on one game.
Manea was thrown out after allowing an infield single to start the eighth. The big left-hander, who blossomed for New York’s ace in the second half of the season, received chest pats from teammates and applause from the towel-waving sellout crowd of 44,093 as he strolled off the mound.
Manaea picked up his first playoff win after entering his postseason career 0-3 with a 10.66 ERA, aided by Tyrone Taylor’s terrific throw from deep center field that picked off a runner in the fourth base. He struck out six and walked two.
“He felt like he wanted this moment,” teammate Francisco Lindor said. “He gave it everything he had.”
Clinging to a 2-0 lead, Maneya escaped major trouble in the sixth game. After issuing a series of walks to start the inning, he received a mound visit from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and struck out star slugger Bryce Harper on three fast-paced pitches.
“I followed him,” Manea said.
Nick Castellanos then connected on an inning-ending double play when Mets’ middle infielder Kyle Schwarber doubled into second base. An impassioned Maneya “Let’s go!” He shouted. He jumped off the hill.
Alonso sent Nola’s first pitch deep to right at second. When the ball reached the front row of the second deck, he raised his bat in the air on his way to first base.
It was Alonso’s second home run of the series and third in New York’s last four playoff games. They’ve all gone to the opposite field — and only four of his 34 homers in the regular season went the other way.
“Wherever it goes, if it goes out, I’m happy,” Alonso said. “If I’m hitting balls the other way, that’s a good sign.”
Nola and Alonso had battled since their college days in the Southeastern Conference, but the rivalry in the majors was one-sided. It was right-hander Alonso’s sixth career homer after entering with a .320 batting average and 1.050 OPS in 54 career plate appearances against him.
“He knows me. I know him. He’s a great, talented pitcher,” Alonso said. “He’s a tough AB. I am happy to be able to join the team.”
Thompson left Nola on the mound in the sixth to face Alonso, who drew New York’s second consecutive walk following Mark Vientos’ leadoff single.
With the bases loaded, Orion Gergering replaced Nola with two outs before Martin’s two-run single made it 4-0.
Brandon Nimmo and Alonso drew back-to-back walks to load the bases again in the seventh before Jose Iglesias added two runs on a Jose Ruiz ball with two outs.
Harper and Castellanos both had RBI singles in the eighth, but Ryne Stanek was retired. Decline Alec Bohm to end the innings.
Lindor played his first home game since September 8 due to a back injury. A run-scoring double in the bottom half made it 7-2.
The spirited winger connected for a solo shot in the fourth and looked all the way from home plate as his first career postseason homer sailed into the second deck in right.
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Suarez, who went 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in three games against the Mets this season, had a 6.04 ERA in five Septembers, totaling just 22 1/3 innings. But he and the Phillies believe Suarez (12-8, 3.46 ERA) has found a mechanical fix after throwing well during an intrasquad game last week.
“What happens in September stays in September. It’s time to turn the page. I forgot about it,” Suarez said through an interpreter. “We are October Vibes.”
Quintana (10-10, 3.75 ERA) pitched six shutout innings in Milwaukee last Thursday, taking a no-decision in Game 3 of the wild-card series. He is 1-0 with a 2.81 ERA in three starts against the Phillies this year and threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball against them for St. Louis in the 2022 playoffs.
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