Morning Briefing: Playoff Baseball Returns to Citi Field

Good morning, Mets fans!

For the first time in 16 days, the Mets will play a game at Citi Field, hosting the Phillies for Game 3 of the NLDS.

Sean Manaea (12-6, 3.47 ERA) will take the hill for the Mets against Aaron Nola (14-8, 3.57 ERA). Manaea was solid in his first outing of the postseason, holding the Brewers to two runs over five innings. Nola faced the Mets twice this season, throwing a complete-game shutout at Citi Field on May 14, but getting tagged for six runs in 4 1/3 innings in Philadelphia on September 13. Since 2022, the Mets are 6-1 against the 31-year-old righty.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:08 p.m., and Keith Hernandez will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to John Franco. Daniel Murphy will do the honors before Game 4 on Wednesday. Parking lots will open at 1:30 p.m. and stadium gates will open at 2:30. There will be a block party before each game beginning at 1:30 and continuing after the games.

Latest Mets News

Jeff McNeil took batting practice at Citi Field on Monday, continuing to trend towards a return should the Mets advance in the postseason. Additionally, Carlos Mendoza said that Kodai Senga is progressing well after his start on Saturday, and would likely start a potential Game 5.

Francisco Lindor has been named a finalist for the National League Hank Aaron Award. The award is given to the best offensive player in both leagues.

Michael Mays, the son of the late Hall of Famer Willie Mays, will travel from San Francisco to attend Game 3 of the NLDS. Mays told Jay Horwitz that this year’s Mets team reminds him a lot of the 1973 pennant-winning team, and added that his dad would have loved to watch this year’s team play.

Former Mets infielder Matt Reynolds announced on social media that he is retiring from baseball. A second-round pick out of the University of Arkansas, Reynolds was on the 2015 World Series roster, replacing the injured Ruben Tejada. Reynolds was picked up by the Nationals in 2018, but returned to the Mets and appeared in one game in 2022. He most recently had a brief stint in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp before calling it quits.

Latest MLB News

Tarik Skubal tossed seven shutout innings, and Kerry Carpenter broke a scoreless tie in the ninth inning with a three-run homer off Emmanuel Clase as the Tigers stunned the Guardians, evening up the series with a 3-0 victory.

The Royals broke through for four runs against Carlos Rodón in the fourth inning, and the Royals’ bullpen combined for five innings of one-run ball in relief of Cole Ragans as the Royals pulled even with the Yankees with a 4-1 win. According to OptaSTATS, this is the first time ever that all four division series have been tied after two games

In San Diego, Michael King (13-9, 2.95 ERA) will look to follow up his masterpiece in the Wild Card Series against Dodgers righty Walker Buehler (1-6, 5.38 ERA). King struck out 12 Braves and walked none over seven shutout innings in his last outing.

Former Rangers pitcher Matt Bush was arrested on Friday for driving while intoxicated and trying to evade arrest after a crash in Arlington, TX. According to a police report, Bush allegedly ran a red light and crashed into a truck, which then collided with two other vehicles. Bush previously served a 39-month prison sentence for a drunk driving incident that seriously injured a man in 2012.

The Dodgers have sent a video to Major League Baseball of Manny Machado throwing a baseball toward their dugout between innings in Game 2 of the NLDS. Dave Roberts said that the ball was directed at him with “something behind it.” Machado acknowledged that he threw a ball in the direction of the Dodgers’ dugout, though he claims he threw it the same way he throws balls into any dugout.

Latest on MMO

Matt Lazzaro looks at the strong performances of Pete Alonso and David Peterson, who are the MMO Players of the Week.

In an MMO Exclusive interview, Mathew Brownstein spoke with Mets all-time saves leader John Franco.

On This Date in Mets History

1973: Rusty Staub cracks two home runs and drives in four as the Mets take a 2-1 NLCS lead with a 9-2 victory over the Reds. In the fifth inning, Pete Rose slides hard into Bud Harrelson to break up a double play, prompting a fracas at second base. Jerry Koosman scatters eight hits and strikes out nine in a complete game.

1988: Trailing 4-3 in the eighth inning, the Mets bust through for five runs against the Dodgers bullpen, including RBI hits by Wally Backman, Mookie Wilson, and Darryl Strawberry, as well as a bases-loaded walk by Keith Hernandez. Strawberry drives in three runs as the Mets take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS with an 8-4 victory.

2000: Robin Ventura sets the tone with a two-run homer off Mark Gardner in the first inning, and Bobby Jones tosses a complete-game, one-hit shutout as the Mets advance to the NLCS with a 4-0 victory over the Giants. Edgardo Alfonzo drives in two runs with a double in support of Jones, who throws 116 pitches and strikes out five in the win.

2022: Jacob deGrom strikes out eight over six solid innings, and Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor both go deep as the Mets beat the Padres 7-3 to tie the Wild Card Series at one. Brandon Nimmo collects three hits, and Jeff McNeil drives in a pair of runs with a double that caps a four-run seventh inning.

Born On This Date: Colin Holderman (1995).

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