Nolan McLean further cemented himself as the most dependable member of the Mets’ rotation with another strong outing Thursday night.

McLean allowed two runs on six hits and two walks across 6 1/3 innings, striking out six while throwing 64 of his 99 pitches for strikes. Both runs came on solo home runs, but McLean otherwise prevented Miami from generating continuous pressure on the basepaths.

The 24-year-old faced the minimum through his first three innings before Kyle Stowers kicked off the fourth with a solo home run. McLean immediately settled back in, retiring the next three hitters to prevent Miami from adding to its lead.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York’s offense put McLean in position for the win with two runs in the sixth. Francisco Lindor singled, Bo Bichette followed with a double, and a Marlins defensive miscue allowed both runners to score.

McLean returned for the seventh and struck out Heriberto Hernández to begin the inning. However, he fell behind Jakob Marsee 3-0 and surrendered a game-tying solo home run on the next pitch. A two-out single by Graham Pauley ended McLean’s night, with Brooks Raley entering to record the final out.

Although the late home run cost McLean a chance at the win, it did little to diminish another strong outing. He has now pitched at least six innings while allowing no more than three earned runs in seven consecutive starts.

Thursday’s outing capped an excellent July for McLean. He posted a 1.78 ERA across five starts, finishing at least six innings and allowing no more than two earned runs in each appearance. The strong July came after a solid June, when he recorded a 2.79 ERA after struggling en route to a 6.10 mark in May.

McLean lowered his season ERA to 3.29 with Thursday’s performance. His recent consistency has been especially valuable for a Mets team that entered the night well outside the playoff race and could potentially be in line for pitching changes ahead of the Trade Deadline.

After Raley kept the score tied through the eighth, the Mets finally rewarded McLean’s effort. Luis Robert Jr. delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the inning, and Devin Williams worked around a walk in a scoreless ninth to secure the win.

McLean once again delivered exactly what the Mets needed from their ace. As New York evaluates which players belong in its long-term plans, he continues to show why he should be considered untouchable.