Detroit – Nolan McLean Shines as Mets Overpower Tigers

Nolan McLean returned as a rookie pitcher, stepping in for a struggling Mets rotation after facing challenges during two innings on Tuesday night. Early on, he struggled with walks and contact, which made things difficult for the right-hander. However, he managed to find his groove and began what now marks his fourth consecutive start in the major leagues.

With McLean on the mound, the Mets pulled off a convincing 12-5 victory against the Tigers at Comerica Park, marking their second consecutive win against a team that had strong records going into the game.

Pete Alonso shone brightly with two home runs, supported by strong performances from Luis Torrens and Juan Soto, who also went deep. The Mets’ offense was impressive, although they really needed the starting pitcher to step up, which McLean did effectively.

In total, he allowed just two runs over six innings, finishing with three walks and seven strikeouts, while yielding only three hits. He left the game with a 1.37 ERA. His strong effort disrupted a streak where the Mets’ previous starters—David Peterson, Kodai Senga, and Sean Manaea—had each failed to go five innings in recent games.

Alonso kicked things off by hitting a two-out home run in the first inning, putting the Mets ahead 1-0. Sawyer Gipson-Long struggled with his pitching, throwing a 3-0 fastball that Alonso capitalized on, clearing the center field fence.

McLean faced challenges too; he walked back-to-back batters, Kelly Carpenter and Riley Green, allowing the Tigers to score in the first inning. Spencer Torkelson and Wensel Perez each contributed RBI singles. However, Perez was caught trying to advance after a play at the plate.

Zach McKinsley then drew a walk and was tagged out attempting to steal second. McLean let Dillon Dingler reach base, which further put pressure on him.

The Mets regained control in the fourth inning, managing to send nine batters to the plate and scoring four runs. Jeff McNeill drove in a run with a single, and Cedric Mullins added another with a sacrifice fly. Torrens made a significant impact by hitting a three-run homer, pushing the lead to 6-2.

Soto initiated another rally with a walk and then stole second base. Following a single from Brandon Nimmo and a loaded base situation for Mark Vientos, the stage was set for more scoring.

Then, in the seventh inning, Soto and Alonso launched back-to-back home runs, signaling the Mets’ continued dominance. Following that, Nimmo singled, and Vientos hit a double, putting pressure on the Tigers. McNeill fired a two-run single, extending the lead to 10-2. Brett Baty later added an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly from Francisco Lindor ultimately pushed the score to 12-2 against the Tigers.