Mets prevent Phillies from clinching NL East with 6-3 win behind Sean Manaea and Francisco Alvarez

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Manaea won his fourth straight decision, Brandon Nimmo hit a tiebreaking single in a three-run seventh inning and the New York Mets beat Philadelphia 6-3 on Saturday to prevent the Phillies from clinching the NL East title.

Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuña hit second-inning home runs that put the Mets ahead 2-1. Alvarez added a two-run double in the seventh against Orion Kerkering (5-3) for a 5-2 lead, and Edwin Díaz got a four-out save.

New York (86-69) won for the 17th time in 22 games. The Mets remained two games ahead of Atlanta for the final NL wild card and improved to 5-1 on their seven-game homestand minus star shortstop Francisco Lindor (sore back). They are one game back of Arizona for the second wild cad.

“Yeah, we lost a guy that is in the MVP conversation," manager Carlos Mendoza said, “but hey, we've got to keep going. ... We haven’t done anything. We've still got a lot of important games here.”

A crowd of 44,152 filled Citi Field, just the fourth sellout this season after opening day and a pair of Subway Series games against the Yankees.

“It felt unbelievable today,” said Nimmo, who had urged fans to turn out. “It was high energy. Every pitch mattered and the crowd was in it the whole time.”

Philadelphia (92-63), which has lost two of the first three games of the four-game series, can secure its first NL East title since 2011 with a victory over the Mets on Sunday night. The Phillies clinched no worse than a wild card on Friday.

“We want to be able to get our division," slugger Kyle Schwarber said.

Manaea (12-5) retired 21 of 24 batters, allowing Schwarber’s record 15th leadoff home run of the season, Nick Castellanos’ tying homer in the fifth and J.T. Realmuto’s leadoff single in the eighth. The 32-year-old left-hander never pitched from the stretch, allowing three runs and three hits in seven-plus innings while striking out six. Manaea lasted at least 6 2/3 innings for the eighth straight start.

Cal Stevenson’s RBI grounder off Reed Garrett in the eighth pulled the Phillies within two runs. Díaz threw a called third strike past Schwarber on a full-count fastball and finished for his 19th save in 25 chances, his third four-out save this season.

With the score 2-all, Kerkering walked Starling Marte leading off the seventh and with one out hit Pete Alonso on the left shoulder blade with a 97 mph pitch.

Nimmo lofted a single into left-center for a 3-2 lead, ending the Mets’ 0-for-14 streak with runners in scoring position. Nimmo stole second and Alvarez doubled just beyond the glove of left fielder Weston Wilson, who tried for a diving catch.

Alvarez hit a 113.8 mph drive for his 11th home run this season and fifth in nine games. Acuña’s homer was the third in his first 24 big league at-bats.

Alonso added an RBI single in the eighth when his two-out pop fly to short center fell between Stevenson and second baseman Bryson Stott, who each thought the other would catch the ball.

Phillies starter Ranger Suárez allowed five hits and three walks in five innings. His fastball velocity averaged 92.5 mph, an increase of 0.7 mph.

“I made some adjustments that have helped me get my velocity back,” Suárez said though a translator.

New York benched J.D. Martinez, in a career-worst 0-for-31 slide. Mark Vientos stuck out a career-worst five times.

The Mets finished 5-5 this season in their new gray City Connect jerseys.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: OF Austin Hayes (kidney infection), sidelined since Sept. 1, was 2 for 5 with two strikeouts as the DH in his first game of a rehab assignment for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He is scheduled to play left field on Sunday. ... RHP Spencer Turnbull (strained right lat) is slated for a rehab outing with the IronPigs in their season finale Sunday.

Mets: RHP Kodai Senga pitched a hitless inning with a walk and two strikeouts for Triple-A Syracuse in his first rehab outing since straining his left calf in his season debut on July 26. He threw eight of 15 pitches for strikes. Senga missed the first half of the season because of a capsule shoulder strain that had sidelined him since spring training. ... RHP Paul Blackburn (spinal fluid leak in back) won’t pitch during the rest of the regular season, Mendoza said.

UP NEXT

Zack Wheeler (16-6, 2.56 ERA) starts for the Phillies against his former team in Sunday night’s series finale. RHP Tylor Megill (4-5, 4.08) goes for the Mets.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, left, and first baseman Pete Alonso, right, celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Sean Manaea pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Francisco Alvarez reacts rounding the bases after hitting a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Philadelphia Phillies' Nick Castellanos follows through on a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso, right, reacts after being hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo hits a single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso, second from left, and Brandon Nimmo (9) react after scoring on a double by Francisco Alvarez during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Iván Herrera and Jordan Walker hit home runs and the St. Louis Cardinals beat Cleveland 6-5 on Saturday night after the Guardians had already clinched the AL Central title earlier in the day.

José Ramírez and Bo Naylor homered for Cleveland, which clinched its 12th division title since 1995 when the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 9-0 earlier Saturday.

Miles Mikolas (9-11) allowed one run on four hits in six innings to earn his first win since July 21 when he beat the Braves in Atlanta. He was 0-3 with a 6.80 ERA in his previous nine starts.

Ryan Helsley pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 46th save in 50 chances to tie Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase for the major league lead.

Matthew Boyd (2-2) allowed two runs on four hits and three walks and struck out six before being pulled after throwing 88 pitches in four innings.

Andrés Giménez hit an RBI double off Matthew Liberatore after Ramírez hit his 37th home run of the season off JoJo Romero earlier in the eighth inning to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 6-5.

Herrera hit his fourth home run of the season off Nick Sandlin in the seventh after Masyn Winn scored on a rocket that bounced off Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor’s glove for an error to give St. Louis a 6-1 lead.

Bo Naylor hit his 13th homer of the season into the right field bullpen to cut Cleveland’s deficit to 2-1 in the fifth.

Walker hit his fifth home run of the season to left field in the fourth inning to put St. Louis ahead 2-0.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Placed RHP Sonny Gray (right flexor tendinitis) on the 15-day injured list and recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from Triple-A Memphis. Gray said he would have been able to keep pitching if the Cardinals had not been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention Friday night.

UP NEXT

Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (3-10, 5.12 ERA) will face Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante in St. Louis’ home finale on Sunday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt walks back from the mound after making a pitching change during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt walks back from the mound after making a pitching change during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn, right, scores past Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn, right, scores past Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Cardinals' Ivan Herrera rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Cardinals' Ivan Herrera rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)