As Sean Manaea walked off the field Tuesday night after the seventh inning in Game 3 of the NLDS, he blew a kiss to the sky as New York Mets fans showered him with a chorus of cheers and a standing ovation.

Manaea had just pitched the game of his life. Little did the sellout crowd of 44,093 fans at Citi Field know, it was all dedicated to a beloved family member.

"That was for my Aunt Mabel," Manaea said. "I just got a message that she passed away earlier this morning. That game was for her."

Manaea certainly made his late aunt proud, as he allowed just one run on three hits over seven innings of work in the Mets' 7–2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. The lefthander also whiffed six batters and walked two as he secured the first playoff win in his career.

Entering Tuesday's game, Manaea had never pitched in a playoff win in four previous tries, including the Mets' 5–3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild-card round last week.

The Mets, now leading 2–1 in the series and one win away from the NLCS, will host the Phillies again on Wednesday.

More of the Latest Around MLB


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sean Manaea Explains His Heartfelt Gesture While Walking Off Field After Game 3 Gem.