Categories: 2024 Postgame Recaps

Phillies face elimination after Mets punch back in Game 3 rout

Aaron Nola took the Game 3 loss. (Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire)

NEW YORK — The Mets punched back in Queens, pushing Philadelphia to the brink of elimination in this National League Division Series showdown between NL East foes.

The Phillies recorded just three hits in a letdown 7-2 loss to the Mets in Game 3 on Tuesday evening at Citi Field. Mets starter Sean Manaea, the left-hander who was rocked in Philadelphia in the 2022 playoffs and revitalized his career this season, threw seven hard-fought, scoreless innings. Right-hander Aaron Nola allowed two home runs for the Phillies, and their bullpen allowed four inherited runners to score.

Philadelphia, down 2-1 in this best-of-five series, will send the struggling Ranger Suárez to the mound in Game 4, looking to keep its season alive against left-hander Jose Quintana and the Mets.

The Phillies’ offensive struggles did not quite match the first 14 brutal innings of this series before the bats woke up in the sixth inning of their Game 2 victory. The lineup hit the ball hard against Manaea in the first few innings, putting it in play for the first six outs of the game. The Phillies avoided chasing as much, but the better at-bats didn’t net them any runs.

Nola, getting the start after Philadelphia used Cristopher Sánchez in Game 2 at Citizens Bank Park, looked sharp for most of his outing, aside from two pitches that left a major impact. Mets slugger Pete Alonso laced an opposite-field home run off the facing of the second deck in right field to lead off the second, and Jesse Winker finally put one in that upper level with his fourth-inning rocket on a fastball over the middle of the plate.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson gave Nola a long leash as he loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth. The team then had to insert young right-hander Orion Kerkering into the jam. He retired two Mets in the stressful pinch before Starling Marte came through with two-out, two-run single to center field to put New York ahead 4-0. Nola finished with four runs on his line in five-plus innings.

Manaea dealt for New York, getting revenge for his 2022 NL Championship Series disaster as he escaped the few signs of trouble Philadelphia presented. The Phillies had a ready-made opportunity in the top of the sixth inning with runners on first and second base with Game 2 heroes Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos due up. Manaea walked the first two batters, putting multiple Philadelphia runners on in an inning for the first time. Harper and Castellanos swung at the next six pitches as the Mets lefty exited unscathed.

Harper struck out on three pitches before Castellanos lined out to second base on a hard-hit ball; New York doubled Kyle Schwarber off second to end the inning.

The Mets scored two more runs in the seventh with José Ruiz on the mound after José Alvarado had loaded the bases. New York added another in the eighth against Carlos Estévez.

The Phillies added two runs in the eighth inning on back-to-back RBI singles from Harper and Castellanos. But it wasn’t enough to counter the Mets’ attack.

Philadelphia bounced back in Game 2 after a brutal Game 1 loss. The club will have to repeat that on Tuesday to save the season.