Mets Snap Losing Streak with Solid Victory
The Mets didn’t exactly rely on Nolan McLean to be their hero on Saturday, but it was a bit of a surprise that he stepped up as he did.
In his Major League debut — stepping in at a crucial moment for a team in dire need of reliable starting pitching — McLean provided an unexpected boost that helped the Mets break a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Mariners at Citi Field.
This victory marked only the Mets’ third in their last 17 games, which isn’t, well, great.
McLean, the organization’s top pitching prospect, threw a scoreless 5¹/₃ innings, allowing four walks, two hits, and striking out four. Not too shabby for a debut.
The Mets pieced together the rest of the game, with a pitcher often overlooked notching his 24th save in 26 opportunities.
At 24 years old, McLean primarily relied on his signature sweepers but showcased a repertoire that included six different pitches, reaching up to 95.5 mph with his four-seam fastball.
He previously replaced Frankie Montas in the bullpen last week, providing some much-needed reinforcement for a rotation struggling after David Peterson and Sean Manaea’s recent performances.
The series finale will be played on Sunday at the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Interestingly, some fans booed when manager Carlos Mendoza decided to pull McLean in the sixth inning.
Despite this, McLean received a standing ovation when he exited the game, which was nice, I suppose.
Gregory Soto came in and managed to escape a tricky situation, facing Eugenio Suárez in the final stages after a stolen base and a throwing error from Francisco Alvarez.
Once back in the dugout, McLean appeared on the big screen and got more cheers from the crowd. His next start is slated for Atlanta next weekend.
He walked JP Crawford and Cole Young, the eighth and ninth batters, to start the third inning. But after a quick chat with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, McLean returned to find his groove.
After some drama, including a double play that McLean initiated, he seemed to settle in well.
The Mets, however, struggled to generate offense against Mariners starter Brian Wu, who had a solid outing with six strikeouts over six innings.
Francisco Lindor eventually put the Mets on the board with a double in the third inning. Brett Baty helped out, too, reaching base before Lindor’s hit brought in the first run.
Dominique Canzone led off the fifth inning but couldn’t capitalize on a passed ball that put him in scoring position, as the next three batters were retired.
The Mets loaded the bases later, but Ronnie Mauricio couldn’t convert, ending that threat.
Soto did well out of the bullpen, retiring all five batters he faced, marking his eighth straight appearance without allowing a run since joining from Baltimore in July.
Juan Soto’s sacrifice fly gave the Mets a 2-0 lead after Baty advanced, but chaos ensued when Lindor tried to score on a single from Nimmo and got thrown out at the plate.
Finally, Pete Alonso welcomed Carlos Vargas with an RBI double, extending the Mets’ lead. Unfortunately, the Mariners managed to score in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough.
