Manaea strikes out 9 as Mets edge Rangers 6-3

Manaea Anchors Mets Offense

Nine strikeouts stood out in the New York Mets' 6-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at Globe Life Field. Sean Manaea delivered a strong start, pitching six innings while allowing only three hits and two earned runs. He also issued two walks to finish the outing.

The Mets capitalized on their opportunities to secure the win, improving their record to 72-85. The Rangers fell to 78-79 after the defeat.

Early Inning Tug-of-War

The scoring began in the third inning when the Mets took a 1-0 lead. Francisco Lindor moved to third base after a single by Juan Soto, allowing Alex Alvarez to score. The Rangers answered immediately in the bottom of the third.

Jung doubled to right field, driving home Jansen to tie the game at 1-1. The fourth inning saw the Mets regain the lead. Benge scored on an error, and Alvarez safely reached first and second base on fielding mistakes.

The Rangers tied it again at 2-2 when Diaz hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Nimmo to score. The Mets then took a 3-2 lead when Langford hit a sacrifice fly that scored Duran.

Late-Inning Surge

The Mets extended their advantage in the sixth inning. Alvarez hit a double to center field, scoring both Semien and Benge to make it 4-2. Torrens followed with a sacrifice fly to first base, allowing Alvarez to score and giving the Mets a 5-2 lead.

The Rangers managed to score one run in the seventh inning. Benge doubled to right field, driving home Baty to cut the deficit to 6-3. The Mets bullpen maintained the lead for the remainder of the game.

Pitching Performances

Nate Lavender, Dedniel Nunez, and Kodai Senga each pitched one inning for the Mets, allowing no hits, no earned runs, and no walks while striking out two batters each. Senga earned the save. For the Rangers, MacKenzie Gore pitched five innings, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out two.

Nathan Eovaldi took the loss, pitching one inning and allowing three hits and three earned runs. Robert Garcia, Jakob Junis, and Peyton Gray also appeared in relief for Arlington, with Gray striking out two batters in one inning.

Sources

ESPN