NEW YORK – Pete Alonso launched another homer off Aaron Nola, and Sean Manaea picked up a two-hit shutout in the eighth inning as the New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 on Tuesday in Game 3 of their NL Division Series.

Jesse Winker also went deep and Starling Marte had a crucial two-run single to help the wild-card Mets, playing their first home game in 16 days, take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

Game 4 is Wednesday at Citi Field, with All-Star Ranger Suarez (12-8, 3.46 ERA) scheduled to play for Philadelphia against fellow lefty Jose Quintana (10-10, 3.75 ERA).

With a win, New York will advance to the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres.

Manaea was lifted after allowing a leadoff single to start the eighth. The big southpaw, who emerged as New York’s top prospect in the second half of the season, received hearty chest pats from teammates and a standing ovation from the towel-waving sellout crowd of 44,093 as he strolled off the mound.

Manaea struck out six and walked two for his first playoff win after going 0-3 with a 10.66 ERA in his postseason career.

Manaea held on to a 2-0 lead and escaped major trouble in the sixth. After issuing consecutive walks to start the inning, he received a mound visit from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and struck out star slugger Bryce Harper on three off-speed pitches.

Nick Castellanos then lined into an inning-ending double play, while the Mets’ center infield doubled off Kyle Schwarber at second base. A pumped up Manaea shouted, “Let’s go!” as he bounced off the mound.

Alonso sent Nola’s first throw of the second deep to the right. He threw his bat high in the air on his way to first base when the ball reached the front row of the second deck.

It was Alonso’s second home run of the series and third in New York’s past four playoff games. These have all been in the opposite field; the slugger went the other way on only four of his 34 home runs during the regular season.

Nola and Alonso have competed in the Southeastern Conference since their college days, but the showdown in the majors was one-sided. It was Alonso’s sixth career homer off the right-hander, after coming in with a .320 batting average and 1.050 OPS in 54 career plate appearances against him.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson left Nola on the mound in the sixth to face Alonso, who drew New York’s second consecutive walk after Mark Vientos’ leadoff single.

With the bases loaded, Orion Kerkering replaced Nola and got two outs before Marte’s two-run single made it 4-0.

Brandon Nimmo and Alonso issued back-to-back walks to load the bases again in the seventh, before Jose Iglesias added a two-run single off Jose Ruiz with two outs.

Harper and Castellanos each had an RBI single in the eighth before Ryne Stanek retired and Alec Bohm collapsed to end the inning.

Francisco Lindor, playing his first home game since September 8 due to a back injury, delivered a runscoring double in the second half to make it 7-2.

The exuberant Winker hit a solo shot in the fourth and watched all the way from home plate as his first career postseason homer reached the second deck in right field.