Nolan McLean delivered a vintage performance on Saturday, leading the Mets to a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros at Citi Field. McLean pitched seven innings, allowing only one unearned run on two hits while walking just one batter. This outing marked a return to dominance for the pitcher, who has been labeled as the Mets' ace of the future.
While McLean's previous starts this season featured more strikeouts and swings-and-misses, this game highlighted his ability to overpower opponents with efficiency. He did not record his first strikeout until the fifth inning, but he successfully retired 20 out of 24 batters faced at one point. His focus was primarily on his fastball, throwing his sinker, cutter, or four-seam fastball for 76 of his 93 pitches. This strategy proved effective against an aggressive Astros lineup.
"He just recognized they were crazy aggressive," said interim manager Andy Green. "He had three fastball shapes, and he could miss barrels and get soft contact and pitch deep into the game. So it became less of ‘I need to punch people out’ and more of ‘how do I get seven innings in that are good for the club today?’"
In addition to McLean's strong outing, the Mets saw Juan Soto return from a 31-game absence and drive in the go-ahead run. Pitcher Kodai Senga also made an appearance out of the bullpen for the second consecutive day without allowing a run. Center fielder A.J. Ewing made a notable defensive play, saving a potential home run.
Meanwhile, in Triple-A Syracuse, pitcher Jonah Tong threw a complete-game, seven-inning shutout against Lehigh Valley. Tong allowed two walks and struck out eight, coming within one out of a no-hitter and lowering his ERA to 4.54. Mark Vientos also had a productive day for Syracuse, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.