Mets' Nolan McLean Strong in Vain as Offense Stalls in 1-0 Loss to Phillies
Rookie right-hander allows one run over 5 1/3 innings but New York is shut out as late threat fizzles at Citizens Bank Park
PHILADELPHIA — Nolan McLean turned in another encouraging outing for the New York Mets, but the rookie's gritty start was wasted Monday night as the Mets fell 1-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
McLean allowed one run on seven hits with three walks in 5 1/3 innings, escaping several jams and showing the poise that has marked his first five major-league starts. The Mets were unable to solve Aaron Nola, who worked six scoreless innings, and the Philadelphia bullpen preserved the slim advantage until the final out.
The game’s lone run came in the second inning. Max Kepler singled and later advanced to third on a hit by Harrison Bader. Bader was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a double at second base, but Kepler scored on a Nick Castellanos single. That was all Nola and the Phillies needed against a Mets lineup that managed just five hits and no runs.
Relievers Gregory Soto, Brooks Raley and a rebounding Ryan Helsley followed McLean, keeping the deficit manageable and setting the stage for a ninth-inning rally. With one out in the ninth, Pete Alonso singled and Mark Vientos doubled to place the potential tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second. Jeff McNeil, the Mets’ most consistent contact hitter, swung through a 101.9 mph fastball from Jhoan Duran and struck out, and Francisco Álvarez struck out looking on three pitches to end the threat.
Duran, a late-inning weapon for Philadelphia, provided the best arm the Mets faced all night, shutting down New York’s final opportunity. The loss dropped the Mets to 76-68 and extended their losing streak to three games. New York fell eight games behind the Phillies in the NL East and was temporarily 3 1/2 games clear of the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds for the final wild-card spot, with those clubs’ games still in progress.
Manager Carlos Mendoza leaned on his top options in relief and made a strategic pinch-hitting move in the eighth. Facing left-hander Matt Strahm, Mendoza replaced struggling outfielder Cedric Mullins with Luisangel Acuña for a pinch-hit appearance. Acuña, typically used as a pinch runner or defensive replacement and with limited plate appearances since his Sept. 1 promotion, flew out.
Mullins, who had earlier lost playing time to Tyrone Taylor and could see more reduced at-bats if Jose Siri is activated, extended a prolonged slump. He is 0-for-26 over his last 10 games, a stretch that has depleted his role in the lineup.
The Mets’ offense, which had been one of the most productive in baseball during August, has cooled sharply. New York has been held to eight total hits across its past two games. McLean’s performance offered a bright spot: it was his fifth career start and the fifth time he has impressed in a rotation role, prompting some to suggest he has postseason rotation potential. Still, the club could not convert opportunities into runs when it mattered most.
Philadelphia’s defensive play factored into the sequence that produced the run, and the Phillies’ bullpen executed in high-leverage moments, including Duran’s ninth-inning appearance. For the Mets, the defeat underscored ongoing offensive inconsistencies and the margin for error in a tight wild-card race.
New York will look to regroup as the series continues in Philadelphia, hoping the offense can regain the form that carried the team through August while the pitching staff keeps providing quality outings from both rookies and veterans. The Mets face the immediate challenge of turning productive starting pitching into wins as October approaches and the playoff picture tightens.
