The New York Mets will attempt to secure a series victory against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, with right-hander Nolan McLean slated to start on the mound. McLean, who holds a 6-6 record and a 3.52 ERA this season, enters the matchup having allowed just two runs over his last 18 innings pitched, striking out 19 batters in that span. Mets pitcher Nolan McLean throws a pitch. Philadelphia will counter with reliever Alan Rangel, who is 0-2 with a 4.19 ERA. Rangel's recent outings have shown struggles, including his last appearance against the Mets on June 27. In that game, after taking over in the sixth inning with a two-run lead, he surrendered a walk, two hits, and two runs in an eventual 4-2 Mets victory. Rangel primarily utilizes a four-seam fastball and a changeup. Mets hitters Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, and Juan Soto are expected to be aggressive early against him, a strategy that proved effective in their late June comeback. Soto, in particular, ranks highly in the league in Expected Batting Average and Expected Weighted On-base Average. The Mets have had success against key Phillies hitters this season. McLean has held Bryce Harper to one hit in six at-bats while striking him out three times, and Kyle Schwarber has a .167 on-base percentage against the Mets right-hander. McLean has recorded 125 strikeouts this season, the most among first-year players. The New York Post has also noted that the Cubs defeated the Twins 6-2, with Michael Busch hitting a first-inning homer and Nico Hoerner going 4-for-4. Matthew Boyd earned his sixth win after allowing one run over six innings in that game.