Sean Manaea won his fourth straight point victory, Brandon Nimmo hit a game-winning three-run single in the seventh inning and the New York Mets beat Philadelphia 6-3 on Saturday, preventing the Phillies from clinching the NL East title.
Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuña hit home runs in the second inning to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. Alvarez hit a two-run double against Orion Kerkering (5-3) in the seventh inning to make it 5-2, and Edwin Díaz made a save with four outs.
New York (86-69) won for the 17th time in 22 games. The Mets began the day two games ahead of Atlanta, which received the last NL wild card, and one game behind Arizona, which was in the second wild card position.
44,152 spectators filled Citi Field, only the fourth sold-out stadium this season after opening day and two games of the Subway Series against the Yankees.
Philadelphia (92-63), which lost two of the first three games of the four-game series, can secure its first NL East title since 2011 with a win over the Mets on Sunday night.
Manaea (12-5) struck out 21 of 24 batters, allowing Kyle Schwarber’s 15th home run of the season, Nick Castellanos’ home run to tie the game in the fifth inning and JT Realmuto’s single in the eighth. The 32-year-old left-hander never pitched from the line, allowed three runs and three hits in seven-plus innings and struck out six strikeouts. Manaea lasted at least 6 2/3 innings in his eighth straight start.
Cal Stevenson’s RBI grounder to Reed Garrett in the eighth inning brought the Phillies within two runs. Díaz threw a third strike on a full-count fastball past Schwarber for his 19th save in 25 chances, his third save with four outs this season.
With the score tied 2-2, Kerkering walked Starling Marte in the seventh inning and hit Pete Alonso in the left shoulder blade with one out with a 97 mph pitch.
Nimmo hit a single to left-center field to make it 3-2, ending the Mets’ 0-for-14 streak with runners in scoring position. Nimmo stole second base and Alvarez hit a double just past the glove of left fielder Weston Wilson, who was attempting a pike catch.
Alvarez has 12 RBIs in his last eight games. He hit a 113.8 mph fastball for his 11th home run of the season and fifth in nine games. Acuña’s home run was the third in his first 24 big league at-bats.
Alonso hit an RBI single in the eighth inning when his two-out pop fly to short center landed between Stevenson and second baseman Bryson Stott, both of whom thought the other was going to catch the ball.
Phillies starter Ranger Suárez allowed five hits and three walks in five innings.
New York benched JD Martinez, who made a career-low 0-for-31 shooting. Mark Vientos retired a career-low five times.
The Mets finished 5-5 this season in their new gray City Connect jerseys.
TRAINING ROOM
Phillies: OF Austin Hays (kidney infection), out since Sept. 1, was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment as a DH for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He is scheduled to play left field on Sunday. RHP Spencer Turnbull (right latissimus injury) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Sunday in their season finale with the IronPigs.
Mets: RHP Kodai Senga should pitch for Triple-A Syracuse in his first rehab assignment since straining his left calf in his season debut on July 26. Senga missed the first half of the season because of a strained shoulder that had kept him out of action since spring training. RHP Paul Blackburn (spinal fluid leak in back) will not pitch during the remainder of the regular season, manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Next
Zack Wheeler (16-6, 2.56 ERA) starts for the Phillies in the final game of the series on Sunday night against his former team. RHP Tylor Megill (4-5, 4.08) plays for the Mets.
