Mets get underrated help in postseason: 'It's a good time for us to do it'

NEW YORK – It didn't matter when Pete Alonso was tagged out at the plate to end the seventh inning. The Mets fans in the sellout Citi Field crowd for Game 3 of the NLDS on Tuesday night didn't seem to care.

That's because Jose Iglesias had just knocked in two runs to extend the Mets' lead over the Phillies en route to an eventual 7-2 victory, securing a 2-1 series lead over Philadelphia . The mood at Citi Field was perhaps the most confident Mets fans have experienced so far this postseason.

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The Mets proved on Tuesday that they have something that can keep them alive in these playoffs: They can be successful without their big stars.

That doesn't mean that the big stars aren't important and haven't achieved great success. Francisco Lindor is still great (playing to a chorus of “MVP” chants), posting a .235 OPS with a .711 OPS this postseason due to a back injury. Alonso, the hero of the Wild Card Series, put the Mets on the road to victory Tuesday night with a solo home run in the second inning. What's notable, however, is that the team doesn't necessarily have to rely on a big day from one of its star players to get a win.

After Phillies starter Aaron Nola was chased off the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning with the bases loaded and no outs, everything went right for the Mets. Then Philadelphia reliever Orion Kerkering came into the game and quickly registered two outs, and suddenly it looked like the Mets would leave the inning with no runs scored. This result probably wouldn't have surprised fans.

But up came Starling Marte, who now has three RBIs this postseason, all of which were clutch runs. He rocked a two-run single to give the Mets a four-run lead, and perhaps for the first time in the series, fans could breathe a sigh of relief. Marte and the Mets did what winning teams do: capitalize on big moments.

“In a situation like that with the bases loaded, you try to keep the ball in the middle,” Marte said through his translator after the game. “Because at that point you just want to help the team win and do what’s best for them in that situation. And that’s exactly what ended up happening.”

Insurance runs like that, when the Mets show up in spots where they desperately needed to produce and give their pitchers some breathing room, is a huge success for this team. That's why they didn't have to panic when the Phillies scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning.

“The whole team is just playing their part and doing their thing,” said third baseman Mark Vientos, who finished the day 2-4. “And it’s a good time for us to do that.”

Jesse Winker has also established himself as a weapon on offense, and his confidence at the plate brings the energy the Mets desperately need this October. After hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning, he took a good, long look at his work and thought, “Oh my God,” before rounding the bases.

“This is what you dream about as a child,” Winker said. “You just want to help your team in any way you can.”

Contributions also come from the defensive side, and on Tuesday Tyrone Taylor stunned the Phillies with one out in the fourth quarter. Alec Bohm hit a shot to right midfield that Taylor fired barehanded as he bounced off the wall before sending it to Francisco Lindor at second to replace Bohm.

“I could have run through a wall, how exciting it was afterwards with the crowd, the momentum,” Taylor said. “It's a dynamic game, so I knew it was important for us and I was just happy to be able to contribute.”

The Mets will once again need help from their entire team on Wednesday to clinch the NLDS with a win at Citi Field.