New York Mets win over Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 in Game 3

The New York Mets secured a decisive victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the National League Division Series, winning 7-2 and taking a 2-1 lead in the series. The Mets' offense was bolstered by early home runs from Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker, which set the tone for a dominant performance . This win places the Phillies on the brink of elimination, as they now face immense pressure to win Game 4 to extend their season .

The left-hander blew a kiss to the sky (directed toward his Aunt Mabel, whom he learned had passed away earlier in the day) and disappeared into the first-base dugout.

The Mets were rolling in large part because of Manaea, and the acknowledgement from the sellout crowd of 44,093 was warranted following one of his best performances yet with the team and certainly on the biggest stage. 

Changeups rely on trickery. Movement helps, too, but for the change-of-pace offering to succeed, a pitcher must mimic the arm speed of a fastball. If the pitch works, the hitter incorrectly reads a heater out of the hand and prematurely begins to coil forward, his swing passing through the zone well before the baseball.

But there is ample risk involved. A lifeless changeup is essentially a batting practice fastball, the type sluggers such as Harper turn into souvenirs. That is largely why the Phillies’ first baseman, a left-handed swinger, saw only five first-pitch changeups from left-handed pitchers in the regular season. Wrong-handers tend to attack Harper with a barrage of fastballs and sliders.

Manaea's outing was not without turbulence. It surfaced in the sixth inning in the form of two walks to the top of the Phillies' lineup to begin the frame, bringing up two-time MVP Bryce Harper and giving his manager a difficult decision. At that point, Mendoza was leaning toward removing Manaea after he faced Harper, a left-handed hitter, to avoid having him pitch to the right-handed Nick Castellanos for a third time.

Then Manaea started attacking again. He struck out Harper on three pitches -- a rare left-on-left changeup and two sweepers. The rebound persuaded Mendoza to stick with him.

"Once he got Harper there," Mendoza said, "I thought he had momentum back."

Manaea didn't stop attacking, jumping ahead 0-2 as Castellanos fouled off two pitches. Castellanos lined the third, a changeup out of the strike zone, to second baseman Jose Iglesias, who flipped the ball to shortstop Francisco Lindor at second base for a game-changing, inning-ending double play. Manaea unleashed two roars as Citi Field exploded around him.

Despite their efforts, the Phillies struggled offensively throughout Game 3, managing only two runs and hitting a meager .204 in the series . Manager Rob Thomson expressed disappointment but emphasized his team's resilience and potential for recovery. He reminded players that they still have an opportunity to showcase their capabilities in upcoming games . As both teams prepare for Game 4, the stakes are high; a loss for Philadelphia would mean an end to their postseason aspirations.

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Sarah H

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