It had been 16 days since the Mets played a home game. September 22, to be exact, and on Tuesday afternoon, they hosted the Phillies at Citi Field. What a memorable game it was!
Let’s say this home game was memorable. The Amazins enjoyed a 7-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the NL Division Series. The home team has now taken a 2-1 series lead.
You knew the fans would be ready to go as soon as the gates opened. They have been waiting for this since the Mets took a 4-2 Game 3 Wild Card series victory on Pete Alonso’s three-run home run in the ninth inning off Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams.
The Mets made sure it was worth the wait. The crowd erupted with approval when Pete Alonso’s home run gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. As frustrated as fans have been with Alonso this season, they wanted a reason to cheer for him, and he gave them just that. His home run raised the decibels of the crowd’s loudness at that moment.
It has special value when a superstar of Alonso’s ilk hits a home run in the playoffs. This city has always been attracted to superstars of their teams in any sport, and fans take pride in that. It certainly had the Mets and their fans going.
Then there’s Jesse Winker, who also had “his moment.” Fans remember when Winker was on the other side, such as when he waved goodbye to Mets fans after making a game-saving catch as a Cincinnati Red. That catch gave Cincy the win. Now Winker is on the right side and hit the postseason home run of his career, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead in the fourth, a blast that transitioned him from villain to hero.
And what about Sean Manaea?! He constantly feeds off the home crowd, which explains why Mets manager Carlos Mendoza started him in Game 3, a strategy that worked to perfection. He started the game retiring seven of nine hitters and allowed only one run on three hits while striking out six in seven innings. Manea was in trouble only once, in the sixth inning, when he walked Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner to start the inning. But then Manaea struck out Bryce Harper and got Nick Castellanos to ground into a double play to end the threat. From there, it was smooth sailing.
Tuesday had a different vibe from when the Mets last played their postseason game at Citi Field. It was in the NL Wild Card series two years ago against the San Diego Padres. The Mets had suffered through a tough September that year, losing the NL East crown after being swept by the Atlanta Braves. The Amazins then had to settle for the Wild Card. Citi Field wasn’t electric then as it is now.
Since June, the Mets have been on fire, going 65-40, and the team’s resilience over that timespan has been something to behold. The Mets often find ways to score late and win games. We saw that three times last week … in Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, in the NL Wild Card series winner-take-all, and in Game 1 of the NLDS … all come-from-behind wins.
Fans can’t get enough of a feeling they’ve waited too long to experience. What’s the best way to describe it? OMG! for sure.
