The New York Mets may have found their next star on the mound. Rookie Nolan McLean turned in another standout performance Tuesday night in Detroit, shutting down the Tigers over six innings to notch his fourth win in as many starts. The Mets rolled to a 12-5 victory, powered by a barrage of home runs from Pete Alonso and Juan Soto.
McLean made history in the process, becoming the first pitcher in franchise history to win his first four career starts. Across the majors, the last rookie to accomplish that feat was Chase Anderson with Arizona back in 2014. Even more impressive, McLean has allowed two runs or fewer in each of those outings, putting him in company with Jered Weaver’s dazzling rookie run in 2006.
A shaky start turns into dominance
It wasn’t smooth sailing early. McLean walked two in the first inning and surrendered a pair of singles, but he quickly locked in. From that point on, he retired the final 14 hitters he faced, finishing with seven strikeouts and only three hits allowed.
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McLean’s 28 strikeouts through four starts rank second in Mets history, trailing only Nolan Ryan’s 29.
Alonso and Soto keep swinging
While McLean stole the spotlight, the Mets offense gave him plenty of support. Alonso launched two homers, his 32nd and 33rd of the season, while Soto stayed scorching hot with his 37th long ball, his fifth in the past five games. The Mets piled up 17 hits overall, with Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo, and Brett Baty each collecting three.
New York broke the game wide open in the seventh inning, when Soto and Alonso went back-to-back during a six-run outburst that made it 12-2. By the time Detroit rallied for a couple of late runs, the game was already out of reach.
Mets gain ground in playoff race
The victory pushed the Mets five games clear of the Reds for the final NL wild card spot, a comfortable cushion entering September. For a team that has seen its share of ups and downs this season, McLean’s emergence could be the spark that steadies them down the stretch.
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