Brett Baty blasted a 455-foot grand slam in the ninth inning, while Nolan McLean delivered seven strong innings in his final start of the rookie season as the New York Mets (73-85) defeated the Texas Rangers (78-80), 7-2, on Wednesday night to secure the series victory.
McLean retired the first 12 batters he faced before Brandon Nimmo opened the fifth inning with a single. Texas eventually scored twice in the inning, but McLean limited the damage and stranded two runners in scoring position.
The right-hander bounced back immediately, needing only five pitches to retire the Rangers in order in the sixth before closing his outing with another clean inning in the seventh.
McLean allowed two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out five over seven innings. He threw 82 pitches, including 52 strikes, and finished his rookie season with a 3.16 earned-run average across 31 starts.
Juan Soto gave New York an early lead with a two-run home run in the third inning, but Texas tied the game before Marcus Semien put the Mets back in front with a solo home run in the eighth.
The Rangers repeatedly chose to intentionally walk Soto, including three times during the game. Their final decision came with two outs in the ninth and a runner on second, followed by an intentional walk to Bo Bichette that loaded the bases.
Baty made Texas pay, launching Trevor Williams’ pitch 455 feet into the seats for his second grand slam of the season and first since August 22. The home run gave New York a 7-2 lead and capped the Mets’ late offensive surge.
Baty has hit .348 with a 1.048 on-base plus slugging percentage over his last 30 games.
Devin Williams also returned from the injured list and pitched a scoreless eighth inning with one strikeout.
The Mets and Rangers close out their series on Thursday at 2:35 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.