CINCINNATI — In Sean Manaea’s past six outings, stretching back to last season, he has pitched like an elite starter.
The Mets’ lefty has opened this season with one earned run in 11 innings.
He finished last season with the Giants by surrendering six earned runs in four starts and 24 innings.
Bridging the years, Manaea has posted a 1.80 ERA in his past six games.
Did the Mets find a real bargain in a pitcher who is owed $14.5 million this season and has a player option for $13.5 million next year?
It is at least a possibility after two solid starts, Manaea allowing one run in five innings of Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
“All the work I’ve been putting in, everything — just feeling good and just trying to be consistent. At the end of the day that’s all I can ask for,” Manaea said after striking out six and allowing three hits and two walks. “Everything’s feeling good right now, so just keep doing that.”
The work was needed after Manaea pitched his way out of the Giants’ rotation early last season.
In mid-May he held a 7.96 ERA and was demoted to reliever/swingman, where he began to find himself.
Manaea saw a velocity jump and added a sweeper, pitching his way back into the rotation and closing the year strong, which caught the Mets’ attention.
Manaea’s sweeper drew 10 hacks from Reds batters and five were whiffs.
His four-seam fastball averaged 93.3 mph, which has replaced a sinker that averaged 91.2 mph in 2022.
His stuff induced plenty of swing-and-miss, though he had trouble putting away Luke Maile on a 13-pitch, third-inning at-bat that ended with a strikeout.
He threw 29 pitches in the inning, and combined with a 27-pitch fourth, it cost him the chance to get into the later innings.
Not helpful were a pair of 0-2 pitches that plunked Jonathan India and later Elly De La Cruz.
“I thought he was really good first time through the order,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I thought he had the stuff to go deep in the game today, but … [the Reds] kind of ran his pitch count up.”
The Reds’ run came in the fourth, when a walk, single and the De La Cruz hit-by-pitch loaded the bases without an out.
But the Reds only scored with Santiago Espinal’s sacrifice fly because Manaea induced a double play from Bubba Thompson that was well-turned by Brett Baty.
“It was huge,” Manaea said. “It was what we needed.”
Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino and Edwin Diaz pitched scoreless innings while working a third game in four days.
Diaz recorded his second save of the series and season, important for the Mets and for a friendly bet he has struck with Reds closer Alexis Diaz.
The brother who records fewer saves in head-to-head action will have to buy the entire family dinner.
Edwin two, Alexis zero.
Highly touted outfield prospect Drew Gilbert was placed on the seven-day injured list with a mild hamstring strain after leaving Saturday’s game with Triple-A Syracuse early.
Max Kranick (hamstring strain) began a rehab assignment with St. Lucie.
The righty starter recorded two outs on 22 pitches, allowing two hits and a walk and striking out one.