New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea took the mound in Game 3 of the NLDS at Citi Field with a heavy heart. Just hours before facing the Philadelphia Phillies, he learned of his aunt’s passing.
In her memory, Manaea delivered the best performance of his career, dominating the Phillies over seven innings. He recorded six strikeouts, allowed only three hits, walked two batters, and surrendered just one run, leading to the Mets’ 7-2 victory.
After leaving the game, Manaea kissed the sky to pay tribute to his aunt.
Sean Manaea says that he kissed the sky on his way off the field in honor of his aunt, who passed away this morning:
"That game was for her." pic.twitter.com/zM2SKGu8Hr
— SNY (@SNYtv) October 9, 2024
“That was for my Aunt Mabel,” Manaea said. “Just got a message that she had passed away early this morning. And, yeah, so that game was for her.”
The Mets are now up 2-1 in the series and just one win away from moving on to the NLCS for the first time since 2015.
Sean Manaea got the last laugh against the Phillies in the playoffs
This wasn’t his first encounter with them; in 2022, while with the San Diego Padres, Manaea entered Game 4 of the NLCS with a fragile 6-4 lead, which quickly vanished.
In just 1 1/3 innings, he gave up five earned runs on four hits, including Rhys Hoskins’ game-tying two-run homer and Bryce Harper’s decisive RBI double. The Phillies won 10-6.
Sean Manaea’s last Postseason appearance against the Phillies was NLCS Game 4 in 2022.
Manaea’s final line:
1.1 IP | 4 H | 5 ER | 2 BB | 2 K | 1 HR | 33.75 ERA pic.twitter.com/lit5cRdDqY
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) October 7, 2024
However, that performance helped reshape Manaea’s career. That offseason, he trained with Driveline, a data-centric player development group, and revamped his pitching mechanics.
This year, Manaea became one of the Mets’ most reliable starters, finishing with a record of 12-6 and a 3.47 ERA.
The Mets are set to face the Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS on Wednesday, with the first pitch at 5:08 p.m. ET.
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