Sean Manaeas dominance, clutch hits lead Mets to huge win over Phillies

With the Mets’ ace on the mound; with the specter of the Phillies’ ace set to take the mound Sunday; with a three-game showdown looming against the hanging-around Braves; and with a sellout, energized crowd on hand, Saturday’s Mets game technically took place on Sept.21 but had the weight and feeling of October. It was not just the atmosphere, though, that seemed worthy of the postseason: The Mets are playing like a playoff team. In what might have been the rowdiest afternoon in Queens this season, Sean Manaea was dominant and his offense loud enough, a three-run seventh inning making the difference in a 6-3 win over the Phillies in front of 44,152 at Citi Field. The Mets (86-69) awaited the finish of the Braves’ game in Miami and will finish this series against Zack Wheeler before their season may be decided beginning Tuesday in Atlanta.

Carlos Mendoza’s group will enter its most significant showdown of the season having at worst split a series with the NL East-best Phillies. Luisangel Acuña launched his third homer in just his eighth big-league game and Francisco Alvarez smoked his fifth dinger in his past nine games.But the tied game was decided in the seventh, when a Mets team that had left too many on base finally capitalized on its opportunities. Against dominant righty Orion Kerkering, the Mets mounted a threat with a walk to Starling Marte and Pete Alonso (who had one hit but reached base five times) getting drilled.

With one out, Brandon Nimmo looped a single into left field and screamed to his dugout with joy and, suddenly, with a lead. That lead grew, two batters later Alvarez coming through for a second time on the day with an outfielder-splitting double into left-center that scored two. The Phillies scored once in the eighth against Reed Garrett before Edwin Diaz entered with a runner on first and Kyle Schwarber at the plate.Diaz struck out the potential tying run and — after an Alonso bloop, RBI single added some insurance in the...