Sean Manaea and the Mets on Tuesday took the field in Cleveland for the first of a three-game series against the Guardians that opens a nine-game road trip for New York.

John Jones-Imagn Images

While it wasn’t Manaea’s strongest outing, he found his way out of trouble several times, giving up just two earned runs on seven hits and five walks, and striking out seven in six innings to lead the Mets to a 6-2 victory over Cleveland.

Three Mets hit home runs on Tuesday night:

  • Luis Torrens was 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a run scored, including a home run
  • Bo Bichette was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored
  • Carson Benge struck for a home run that went 451 feet to left-center field

After the first two homers put the Mets up 4-0, Manaea gave up his first run in the bottom half of the third on an RBI double by Angel Martinez that made it a 4-1 game.

But then the Mets answered back in the fourth as Torrens was again the man of the moment with an RBI single that scored one to re-extend the Mets’ lead to 5-1 and give Torrens four RBIs on the day.

The Indians took another run back in the bottom of the fifth as Manaea faced his second true trouble situation of the game. With two on, Travis Bazzana struck for an RBI single to make it a 5-2, three-run game.

The Mets went to their bullpen in the seventh, bringing in the righty Daniel Duarte to relieve him.

In the top of the eighth, Benge extended the lead to 6-2 with his dinger.

That was all the Mets needed as the bullpen kept the Guardians from scoring again. Part of that was Nate Lavender, who made his MLB debut in the game. He pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings, giving up just one walk and earned his first big league strikeout.

Kodai Senga in the closer position on Tuesday and finished the game with a scoreless ninth inning on the mound. The Mets will be putting Senga in higher-level relief situations to see if he can handle one inning at a time.

Player of the Game

The Metsmerized Player of the Game is Luis Torrens for his 3-for-3, four-RBI performance at the plate.

On Deck

The Mets and Guardians continue their three-game series at Progressive Field on Wednesday. It will be the righty Christian Scott (3-3, 2.99 ERA, 85 SO) on the mound against Tanner Bibee (4-11, 3.81 ERA, 100 SO) for the Guardians.