Rookie Nolan McLean turned in another masterful performance on Wednesday night, allowing just four hits over eight scoreless innings as the Mets blanked the Phillies, 6-0, at Citi Field. With the win, New York pulled within four games of first place in the NL East and extended its recent hot streak to eight victories in 11 games.
McLean, now 3-0, was precise and efficient, striking out six, walking none, and throwing 71-of-95 pitches for strikes. He faced the minimum through the early innings and overcame a brief eighth-inning threat with stellar defensive support from Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo. McLean became the first pitcher in Mets history to win each of his first three career starts and joined David Peterson as the only Mets this season to complete eight innings.
The Mets struck early in the third, using five straight hits off Taijuan Walker to plate three runs. Francisco Lindor, Soto, and Pete Alonso each delivered RBI singles, while Mark Vientos added a run-scoring single in the fifth and capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the seventh. New York finished the night with 12 hits and went 5-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Box Score | NL East Standings | NL Wild Card Standings
Next, the Mets (72-61) host the Miami Marlins (62-71) for four games beginning Thursday at 7:10 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].