New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea took the mound in Game 3 of the NLDS at Citi Field with a heavy heart. Hours before the Mets faced the Philadelphia Phillies, Manaea found out his aunt had died.

With her spirit in mind, Manaea had the greatest start of his career, carving up the Phillies lineup over seven innings. Manaea struck out six, gave up three hits, walked two, and allowed just one run in the Mets’ 7-2 win.

After coming out of the game, Manaea kissed the sky to honor his aunt.

Sean Manaea says that he kissed the sky on his way off the field in honor of his aunt, who passed away this morning:

“That game was for her.” pic.twitter.com/zM2SKGu8Hr

— SNY (@SNYtv) October 9, 2024

“That was for my Aunt Mabel,” Manaea said. “Just got a message that she had passed away early this morning. And, yeah, so that game was for her.”

The Mets are now up 2-1 in the series and just one win away from moving on to the NLCS for the first time since 2015.

Sean Manaea gets last laugh against Phillies in playoffs

This isn’t the first time Manaea had faced the Phillies in the playoffs.

In 2022, while with the San Diego Padres, Manaea came into Game 4 of the NLCS with the San Diego Padres holding a tenuous 6-4 lead. That score didn’t hold for long.

Sean Manaea’s last Postseason appearance against the Phillies was NLCS Game 4 in 2022.

Manaea’s final line:

1.1 IP | 4 H | 5 ER | 2 BB | 2 K | 1 HR | 33.75 ERA pic.twitter.com/lit5cRdDqY

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) October 7, 2024

In just 1 1/3 innings, Manaea allowed five earned runs on four hits, including Rhys Hoskins’ game-tying two-run home run and Bryce Harper’s go-ahead RBI double. The Phillies won that game 10-6.

That outing, though, helped change Manaea’s career around. That offseason, he worked with Driveline, a data-driven baseball player development organization, and revamped his pitching mechanics.

Manaea became one of the Mets’ most reliable starters this year, going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA.

The Mets face the Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. ET.