Oct 8, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) reacts after a double play in the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
QUEENS, NY — Two years ago on an October night in Philadelphia, Sean Manaea had finally had enough.
Called in from the bullpen in the fourth inning to try and help his former team, the San Diego Padres, hold a 4-3 lead, the veteran southpaw was tagged for five runs on four hits by the Phillies in just 1.1 innings of work. That night, he emailed Driveline — an analytics-based performance training center — to revamp his mechanics and his arsenal.
“That moment for me was rock bottom, pretty much,” Manaea said. “That was the night I emailed Driveline. I was like, ‘Alright, something’s gotta change, and we gotta fix something here.’ To
He developed a sweeper and changed the way he delivered the ball; a work in progress that was not immediately a hit. Last season with the San Francisco Giants, he was demoted to the bullpen before working his way back to the starting rotation thanks to that new pitch.
True to form, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns took a chance and added Manaea to a rotation of other reclamation projects — most notably Luis Severino.
It has paid off remarkably, especially on Tuesday night in Game 3 of the NLDS at Citi Field. Nearly two years after his rock-bottom moment, Manaea had one of, if not the best night of his nine-year career. And it happened to be against none other than the Phillies.
The 32-year-old went seven innings plus one batter in the eighth — a career postseason high — and allowed just a single run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks as the Mets took a 2-1 series lead with a 7-2 victory.
“To be as low as I was there and to be here now, it’s such an incredible feeling to be able to…
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