Thursday, May 14, 2026 • 1:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Keider Montero (2-2, 3.18) vs. RHP Nolan McLean (1-2, 2.78)
SNY

The Mets have a chance to go for the sweep this afternoon! There were a lot of reasons to give up on last night’s game. The Tigers took an early 2-0 lead. The Mets struggled with runners in scoring position. Some weird calls went against the Mets (for example, an umpire claiming he saw Baty challenge a pitch). Juan Soto left the game after fouling a ball off his foot just below his guard. But the Mets rallied late, sending the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the tenth, Carson Benge drove home the speedy A.J. Ewing to win the game!

To keep those vibes going today, the Mets will also have to battle the weather, which doesn’t look great today. With the Tigers leaving town, the Mets and Tigers will do everything they can to get today’s game in.

Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

  1. Carson Benge – RF
  2. Bo Bichette – SS
  3. Juan Soto – DH
  4. Mark Vientos – 1B
  5. MJ Melendez – LF
  6. Brett Baty – 3B
  7. Marcus Semien – 2B
  8. A.J. Ewing – CF
  9. Hayden Senger – C

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

The Mets’ ace gets the ball today! Nolan McLean has made eight starts totaling 45 1/3 innings with a 2.78 ERA, 2.38 FIP, 0.904 WHIP and a 143 ERA+. He has 57 strikeouts, which matches his exact total of strikeouts in eight starts in 2025 (48 innings). McLean is coming off a strong start against the Diamondbacks, holding them to one run over six innings while striking out six. McLean faced the Tigers last September, holding them to two runs over six innings. The Tigers have the following career numbers against McLean:

Opposing Lineup

  1. Kevin McGonigle – SS
  2. Colt Keith – 3B
  3. Riley Greene – LF
  4. Dillon Dingler – DH
  5. Gage Workman – 2B
  6. Zach McKinstry – RF
  7. Spencer Torkelson – 1B
  8. Wenceel Pérez – CF
  9. Jake Rogers – C

Keider Montero has pitched 39 2/3 innings over seven starts this season with a 3.18 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 0.958 WHIP and a 134 ERA+. He’s been on a roll in May, allowing only two runs over 12 2/3 innings. The Mets have the following career stats against Keider Montero:

  • Bo Bichette 1-3, 2B
  • Marcus Semien 0-1, BB K
  • Austin Slater 1-3, K
  • Juan Soto 0-2, K

Game Notes

  • Juan Soto is back in the lineup after exiting Wednesday’s game in the seventh inning. X-rays were negative on his foot, and he was considered day-to-day.
  • Francisco Lindor’s latest MRI showed healing, but he’s still not nearing baseball activities, Carlos Mendoza said. As for Francisco Alvarez, he had surgery Thursday morning and is expected to be sidelined about eight weeks.
  • The Mets are just 2-6 in games started by Nolan McLean this year, averaging three runs per game when he’s on the mound.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Carson Benge. Last night’s hero has been heating up. He had a three-hit night, and since moving to the leadoff spot, he has gone 5-for-10 with a run, two RBIs and a stolen base. In his last nine games, he has gone 12-for-31 with seven runs scored and seven RBIs, while slashing .378/.457/.581. The Mets needed someone to take the lead of the offense, and it’s the rookie doing it!
  2. Nolan McLean 100 innings? Nolan McLean is sitting at 93 1/3 innings. Weather permitting, it is possible today that he clears 100 career innings. In his first 93 1/3 innings with the Mets, he has a 2.41 ERA, 2.68 FIP, 0.975 WHIP, 168 ERA+ and 114 strikeouts. If the Mets are going to dig out of this hole from their terrible April, it’s going to be because of Nolan McLean.
  3. Hit hard, don’t expect walks. Keider Montero has walked only 5.2% of hitters this season, good for the 92nd percentile. His xBA is also solid at .230 (66th percentile). On the other side, though, when hitters make contact, they are hitting Montero hard. Hitters are getting hard contact 43.2% of the time (29th percentile), barreling the ball 10.3% of the time (24th percentile), and the average exit velocity is 91.3 mph (12th percentile). The Mets are seventh in the majors with an average exit velocity of 89.7 mph and 15th in raw number of barrels.

Let’s go Mets!