Manaea strikes out 11 in mound gem that sends Mets past Twins 2-0

NEW YORK – Sean Manaea delivered a stellar performance on Tuesday night, striking out a season-high 11 batters over seven impressive innings, leading the New York Mets to a 2-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Mark Vientos provided the power with a home run, while J.D. Martinez added an RBI single, contributing to the Mets’ (57-50) win—their 15th in their last 21 games. With this victory, the Mets matched their season-high by reaching seven games above .500. This success followed a busy trade deadline day, where the Mets bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring Paul Blackburn, Huascar Brazobán, and Tyler Zuber.

The Mets have seen significant turnover this season, with 12 of the 26 players on the roster Tuesday not starting the season with the team. After a challenging 22-33 record through May 29, New York has surged to a 35-17 record since, positioning themselves in the second National League wild-card spot.

Manaea (7-4) allowed only two hits and one walk, and he kept Minnesota from advancing a runner past first base. His 11 strikeouts were the most he’s achieved since a 12-strikeout game with San Diego against Atlanta in May 2022. The left-hander has been particularly effective at Citi Field, posting a 1.50 ERA over his last four starts there.

In the eighth inning, Ryne Stanek recorded two outs, and Edwin Díaz closed out the game by striking out Byron Buxton with two runners on base. Buxton struggled, striking out all four times at bat, while Royce Lewis struck out three times. Díaz secured his 13th save of the season in a game that lasted just 2 hours and 12 minutes, marking his first four-out save since October 4, 2022.

Martinez’s RBI single in the fourth inning and Vientos’s 393-foot home run to left field in the fifth provided the necessary runs. Rookie David Festa (1-2), a New Jersey native, pitched five innings for the Twins, giving up three hits and striking out six.

**METS MOVES**

Before Tuesday’s deadline, the Mets made four trades, bringing in Blackburn from Oakland, Brazobán from Miami, and Zuber from Tampa Bay by trading three minor leaguers. Additionally, Triple-A lefty Josh Walker, who had been designated for assignment, was traded to Pittsburgh for minor league pitcher Nicolas Carreno. Earlier in the month, the Mets also acquired Ryne Stanek, reliever Phil Maton, and outfielder Jesse Winker.

**MINNESOTA MOVE**

The Twins acquired right-handed reliever Trevor Richards from Toronto in exchange for minor league infielder Jay Harry. To clear a spot for Richards on the 40-man roster, Minnesota designated reliever Josh Staumont for assignment.

**UP NEXT**

The interleague series wraps up on Wednesday afternoon with Twins RHP Pablo López (9-7, 4.73 ERA) facing off against Mets RHP Luis Severino (7-3, 3.58).

(Photo courtesy of Twins/MLB)