The Last Time Sean Manaea Went Six Innings Was the 2024 NLDS, And His Velocity is Giving Everyone Deja Vu

Alright, so we're all still fuming about that 8-3 smackdown the M's took from the Nats, right? Rough one to swallow for our guys. But let's take a quick look around the league, because something pretty wild went down in Queens yesterday that honestly, we gotta talk about. Sean Manaea, the lefty for the Mets, just did something he hasn't done since the 2024 playoffs: he went six full innings in a start. And get this: his velocity was up a few ticks, again!

Back From the Brink? Manaea's Mid-Season Turnaround

Yeah, you heard that right. This guy, who had a brutal start to the season and was relegated to an inning-eating, low-leverage bullpen role, is suddenly looking like his old self. He took the loss against the Braves, which kinda stings, but he managed to keep those high-powered NL East leaders in check, which is no small feat. The only real damage came from Eli White, who got him for an RBI double in the second and then lifted his third homer of the season just two innings later. But other than those two runs, Manaea was locked in, giving up just four hits and striking out six without issuing a single free pass. That's efficiency, people!

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was hyped, saying, "That was huge. That’s the guy we’re going to need, for him to go out there and give us a chance today, he was very solid today against a pretty good lineup over there." He even pointed out that Manaea was using all his pitches, competing in the strike zone, getting swing-and-misses, and had a good pitch mix, reminding him of the guy they saw a lot in 2024. That's high praise, and it’s well-earned.

"Keep This Train Rolling"

This isn't a one-off fluke either. Manaea has now pitched to a solid 3.33 ERA over his last eight appearances, giving up just three homers and striking out four times as many batters (28) as he's walked (7) over that span. He's literally fought his way back into a regular spot in their starting rotation. When asked how he felt, Manaea was all confidence, stating, "I feel good. I'm excited with where I’m at and just want to keep this train rolling."

Mendoza echoed that sentiment, adding, "He continues to earn the opportunity. To go out there and have that type of outing today, he just puts himself in a way better position, and he’s going to only make us better moving forward." It's clear that this turnaround for Manaea is a big deal for the Mets. For us here in the Emerald City, while we're always focused on our M's, it's a reminder that early season struggles don't have to define a player's entire year. Let's hope our guys can find that spark too and put together some Ws after that Nats loss. What do you think, can Manaea keep it up?

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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.