The New York Mets wasted another strong outing from Nolan McLean in a 6-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Friday night at Citi Field, dropping to 40-55 with two games remaining before the All-Star break. Defensive miscues proved costly early, and the Mets couldn’t generate enough offense to overcome an early deficit despite another impressive performance from their young right-hander.
Boston struck first in the opening inning after Juan Soto’s error in left field helped put two runners aboard before Masataka Yoshida lined a two-run double down the left-field line. Neither run was earned, but they gave the Red Sox an advantage they never surrendered. The Mets answered in the third when Brett Baty extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a leadoff single before eventually scoring on Soto’s sacrifice fly. Carson Benge added another highlight in the fourth, throwing out Connor Wong at the plate to save a run.
McLean continued his steady stretch on the mound, completing six innings for the fifth consecutive start. The rookie allowed five hits, no earned runs and struck out seven, but received little run support against Sonny Gray, who limited New York to one earned run over six innings.
Boston added insurance in the seventh on Anthony Seigler’s two-run homer before Wilyer Abreu’s two-run blast in the ninth stretched the lead to 6-1. Baty provided the Mets’ final run with a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, finishing 3-for-4 to continue his hot streak.
The Mets continue their three-game series against the Red Sox on Saturday at Citi Field, with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. Freddy Peralta (4.68 ERA) is expected to start for New York, while Boston has yet to announce its starting pitcher.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.