Home at last: Mets return to Citi Field from 2-week odyssey and prep for pivotal Game 3 vs Phillies

NEW YORK (AP) — It was a two-week odyssey for the New York Mets that would've put even Homer on pins and needles at the edge of his seat.

Big Apple to Atlanta. Consecutive rainouts caused by Hurricane Helene. Fly north to Milwaukee for the weekend.

Back down to Atlanta for one day and a makeup doubleheader. Back up to Milwaukee for the Wild Card Series. East to Philadelphia for two more playoff games.

And now — finally — back home at Citi Field for a pivotal Game 3 against the rival Phillies on Tuesday in a best-of-five NL Division Series that's tied 1-all.

“Feels like we’ve been on the road forever,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Along the way: Five crucial wins, three thrilling comebacks, two champagne celebrations — and 3,566 miles round trip.

Star shortstop Francisco Lindor said he'd never experienced a road trip that intense.

"Incredible. I think you could write a book. You could make a movie,” Mendoza said Monday as both teams held workouts at Citi Field.

When the Mets left town Sept. 22 following a Sunday night victory over Philadelphia, their stated goal was to wrap up a National League wild card and last long enough in the postseason to play in Queens again this year.

No easy task, they certainly knew. And with all the emotional highs they've enjoyed lately, it's easy to forget the Mets are just 5-6 overall since their last home game.

But here they are.

“We've had to go through a lot of things just to get here,” said left-hander Sean Manaea, scheduled to start Game 3 against Aaron Nola, with slumping Alec Bohm back in Philadelphia's lineup.

“We just keep believing, and we’re here. All we have to do is get our foot in the door and let’s see what happens. We’re at that point. It’s been a crazy ride.”

Manaea's voice was scratchy — he said probably the result of his reaction to Pete Alonso's go-ahead homer in the ninth inning Thursday night at Milwaukee that saved New York's season in the Wild Card Series clincher.

The Mets rallied late again to win their NLDS opener Saturday, only to see NL East champion Philadelphia turn the tables with a dramatic comeback in Game 2.

“We've been on the good side and now on the bad side. Incredible week. But that’s what makes baseball such a beautiful sport,” Mendoza said. “Hopefully we continue to write our own story.”

Now, the Mets get to pack their own ballpark Tuesday and play in front of a friendly crowd for the first time this October.

“I expect it to be crazy,” Manaea said. "This place can definitely be rocking. The last couple of games we had here were pretty amazing.

“We’ve all been talking about what this place is going to be like,” he added. “There’s definitely a sense of rejuvenation. The road can be crazy, but I’m looking forward to feeding off that energy.”

Nola (14-8, 3.57 ERA) has made a whopping 28 career starts against the Mets, going 10-9 with a 3.46 ERA — including 6-6 with a 3.28 mark in 14 outings at Citi Field.

“Pretty cool place to pitch,” he said. “I feel like I’ve had some good games and bad games here. I just always thought it was a beautiful ballpark. I always liked coming here.”

The right-hander threw a four-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and no walks May 14 in Queens, but New York tagged him for six runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings during an 11-3 loss in Philadelphia on Sept. 13.

“I feel like I’ve thrown just about everything to a lot of them,” Nola said. “They’ve seen all my pitches, they’ve seen what I have, and I’ve seen what they have. It’s all about executing as best as possible against them, throwing the right pitch at the right time and really just trying to get them out any way possible.”

Alonso has batted .320 against Nola in 54 career plate appearances with five home runs and a 1.050 OPS.

Manaea faced Philadelphia in relief during the 2022 NL Championship Series with San Diego and took the loss in Game 4, giving up five runs and four hits in 1 1/3 innings.

“It’s a thing of the past. It obviously wasn’t a very good outing,” he said. “I’m not the same pitcher I was then; they’re not the same (as) they were then, as well.”

It will be Lindor’s first game at Citi Field since Sept. 8.

A contender for NL MVP, he injured his back Sept. 13 in Philadelphia and played only one inning over the next 10 games before returning to the lineup two weeks later in Milwaukee.

“I'm in a good spot. It feels good,” Lindor said in the clubhouse. “I’m excited for it."

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

Philadelphia Phillies' Nick Castellanos (8) celebrates with Bryce Harper after hitting a home run against New York Mets pitcher Luis Severino during the sixth inning of Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper, left, and Nick Castellanos celebrate after scoringon a two-run triple hit by Bryson Stott during the eighth inning of Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series against the New York Mets, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Mets pitcher Edwin Díaz looks out of the dugout after being pulled during the eight inning of Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Phillies' Nick Castellanos celebrates with teammates his one-run single against New York Mets pitcher Tylor Megill during the ninth inning to win Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Phillies' Nick Castellanos reacts after hitting a one-run single against New York Mets pitcher Tylor Megill during the ninth inning to win Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper follow through after hitting a two-run home run against New York Mets pitcher Luis Severino during the sixth inning of Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso reacts after hitting a home run against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher José Ruiz during the sixth inning of Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Mets' Mark Vientos celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez during the third inning of Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

The path for the NFL's Washington Commanders to return to the nation’s capital is clear after an on-again, off-again saga in Congress ended early Saturday with a postmidnight reprieve.

The U.S. Senate passed a resolution to transfer the land including old RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia. The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act passed by voice vote at roughly 1:15 a.m. after more than a year of lobbying and support from Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., district Mayor Muriel Bowser, Commanders controlling owner Josh Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

“We are extremely grateful that our elected officials have come together on a bipartisan basis to give Washington, D.C., the opportunity to decide on the future of the RFK Stadium site," Harris said. "This bill will create an equal playing field so that all potential future locations for the home of the Washington Commanders can be fairly considered and give our franchise the opportunity to provide the best experience for all of our fans.”

The RFK Stadium land provision was part of Congress’ initial short-term spending bill Tuesday before it was torpedoed by President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the latter of whom amplified misinformation about the site on his social media platform X. Two versions of the House's slimmed-down bill, including the one that passed Friday night to avoid a government shutdown, did not include it.

Giving the local government control of the land for the next 99 years allows for the decaying husk of the old stadium to be torn down and the site redeveloped for any number of things. One of the possibilities is a football stadium and surrounding entertainment options at the franchise's former home.

Bowser called it “a win for D.C., for our region and for America.”

“Everybody loves a good comeback story — and that’s D.C.’s story,” she said.

All that awaits is President Joe Biden's signature to become law. Comer went as far as saying that Senate passage of the bill is “a historic moment for our nation's capital.”

“If Congress failed to act today, this decaying land in Washington would continue to cost taxpayers a fortune to maintain,” he said. “Revitalizing this RFK Memorial Stadium site has been a top economic priority for the city, and I am proud to have partnered with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to get this bill across the finish line and to the president’s desk. This bipartisan success is a testament to the House Oversight Committee’s unwavering effort to protect taxpayers and our full commitment to ensuring a capital that is prosperous for residents and visitors for generations to come.”

Playing in Washington again is no sure thing. The Commanders are considering places in the district, Maryland and Virginia to build a stadium in the coming years.

Their lease at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, runs through 2027. Harris called 2030 a “reasonable target” for a new stadium.

The team played at RFK Stadium 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) east of the Capitol from 1961-96 before moving to Maryland. Harris and several co-owners, including Mitch Rales and Mark Ein, grew up as Washington football fans during that era, which included the glory days of three Super Bowl championships from 1982-91.

Part of the way the provision got into the bill initially involved an agreement between the team and Maryland to tear down the current stadium in a timely fashion and redevelop the site with a project of equal economic impact, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press earlier this week on condition of anonymity because the deal was not being publicized.

After the Senate greenlit the RFK Stadium land transfer, Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, both Democrats, said they continued to believe their state's partnership with the team should continue long into the future.

“After working to level the financial playing field, and receiving assurances that should the team move they will redevelop the existing site in a manner that meets the needs of the community, tonight we supported the proposed land transfer legislation,” Cardin and Van Hollen said. "We have always supported the District’s effort to control its own land, and through regional discussions and cooperation, our concerns with this proposal have been addressed.”

The team has played games in Maryland since 1997 and practices in Ashburn, Virginia, not far from Dulles International Airport.

A return to the district would be another victory for Bowser, who on Thursday celebrated the start of an $800 million downtown arena renovation that is keeping the NBA's Wizards and NHL's Capitals in town. At that news conference, she took aim at Musk for sharing incorrect information on X, formerly Twitter, about taxpayers footing the bill for a new stadium.

“It was stated that the (continuing resolution) contains $3 billion for a stadium,” Bowser said. "All wrong. There are no federal dollars related to the transfer of RFK, and in fact the legislation does not require or link at all to a stadium. We’re talking about how the District can invest in removing blight.”

Musk reshared an inaccurate post saying: “Buried in the 1,547-page omnibus bill is a provision to facilitate a $3 billion NFL stadium in Washington, D.C." with the message, “This should not be funded by your tax dollars!”

The bill specifically prohibits the use of federal funds for a stadium on the site, “including training facilities, offices, and other structures necessary to support a stadium.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

FILE - A vehicle pushes up pikes of snow after trucks dump their loads of snow in the parking lots of RFK Stadium in Washington, Monday, Jan. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)