Nolan McLean delivered another dominant pitching performance Sunday afternoon, leading the New York Mets to a 6-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The rookie right-hander struck out 10 batters over six shutout innings, allowing only two hits and two walks. This outing marked McLean's sixth consecutive start pitching at least six innings, the longest such streak by a Mets pitcher this season.
McLean's performance lowered his ERA to 3.34, its lowest point since May 19. Interim manager Andy Green described McLean's season as a typical rookie year for a good pitcher, noting flashes of greatness and room for continued improvement. "We want him to pitch at the top of the rotation, so the challenge is always going to be out in front of him to continue to move up and get better," Green said. "But I think when you are talking about rookies sitting in the three-and-change ERA range, it’s impressive and we still think you can be more impressive."
The Mets offense provided early support. Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer in the first inning after Bo Bichette drew a walk. In the second inning, Luis Torrens hit an RBI double to extend the lead to 3-0. The Mets further expanded their lead by loading the bases later in the inning, leading to an RBI single from Lindor and a sacrifice fly from Carson Benge, making it 5-0.
Juan Soto added to the lead in the sixth inning with an RBI single, pushing the score to 6-0. The Phillies managed to score one run in the seventh inning when Alec Bohm hit a solo home run off A.J. Minter. The Mets won the series rubber game, securing a measure of momentum as the season resumes after the All-Star break, despite their current standing 16 games below .500.