Nolan McLean flashed his undeniable talent in his first two big league starts. In his third, McLean showed he can handle the pressure of a pennant race as well.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Mets rookie blanked the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies over eight innings in a critical 6-0 victory to complete the sweep on Wednesday night. The win moved the Mets to within four games of Philadelphia.
McLean was brilliant, holding a tough Phillies lineup to just four hits and striking out six without allowing a walk. He faced little threat from the Phillies all night and escaped his only jam in the eighth inning unscathed.
“Once I felt like I could throw anything for a strike, I was just, any count, trying to keep them honest,” McLean said after the game.
The rookie got more help than he needed from the Mets’ offense, which put up six runs on 12 hits. Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso all had RBI singles in the third inning off former Met Taijuan Walker. Brandon Nimmo had three hits on the night and Brett Baty added two, including a double.
Mark Vientos continued his resurgence at the plate with an RBI single in the fifth and a two-run homer in the seventh to put the game out of reach. He has six homers and 17 RBI in the last 10 games.
But even Vientos acknowledged that tonight belonged to McLean: “He’s a stud. He has ice in his veins.”
With the win, the Mets clinched the season series tiebreaker against the Phillies, which would come in handy should the two teams end with the same record.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
You guessed it: it’s McLean. He became the first Mets pitcher ever to win his first three career starts. Over 20 1/3 innings, he has 21 strikeouts and a 0.89 ERA.
UP NEXT
The Mets kick off a four-game series against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Clay Holmes (11–6, 3.60 ERA) takes the hill after giving up just two runs over 6 1/3 innings for the win against the Atlanta Braves in his last start. Miami has yet to name a starter. Game time is 7:10 p.m. EST, and coverage will air on SNY.
