Nolan McLean weathers Rangers’ pitch-taking ploy, goes six scoreless in Mets’ 10-inning win

Nolan McLean turned aside a deliberate tactic by the Texas Rangers and delivered six scoreless innings Sunday as the New York Mets beat Texas 5-2 in 10 innings.

The Rangers began the game by taking McLean’s first 18 pitches in an attempt to force him to expand the zone — a strategy they also used Friday against rookie Jonah Tong. McLean allowed only a walk in the opening frame and finished with five hits allowed, seven strikeouts and two walks as the Mets secured the extra-inning victory at home.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the Rangers had a clear plan to sit on McLean’s sweeper early, but the rookie adjusted by turning to his sinker and changeup. “It looks like [the Rangers] had a good plan there, especially against his sweeper, where they took some pitches early in counts,” Mendoza said. “They were aggressive on that pitch and [McLean] kind of recognized that and he started using that sinker. He started using that changeup … that is what makes this guy who he is.”

McLean himself said he felt a bit behind early. “I wasn’t too competitive with first and second pitches, I was getting behind in counts, so I would like to do a little better with that going forward,” he said after the game. Even so, he recorded two strikeouts in the first inning and escaped without surrendering a run.

McLean benefited from two double plays behind him in the fourth and sixth innings. The outing continued a remarkable start to his major-league career: he has not allowed more than two earned runs in any start, and his 1.19 ERA through his first six big-league starts is the lowest by a Mets pitcher in that span, topping Terry Leach’s previous mark of 1.73. He is also the first pitcher in franchise history not to allow an earned run in his first three starts at home.

Francisco Álvarez lauded McLean’s command and pitchability. “He’s impressed me every day when he’s on the mound,” Álvarez said. “He’s a guy that can move the ball around. He can control all his pitches, so that is what makes him so good.” McLean, a rookie, downplayed the statistical milestones. “I am not a huge stats guy,” he said. “I try to go out there and give my team the best chance to win every single time.”

The performance was another bright spot for a Mets staff that had struggled during a season-high eight-game losing streak that ended with Sunday’s win; the rotation posted a 6.27 ERA during that stretch. McLean was not part of the earlier woes, allowing only one run in a start against the Philadelphia Phillies last Monday.

Texas’ earlier use of the pitch-taking ploy against Jonah Tong on Friday led to the rookie’s early removal, illustrating the Rangers’ attempt to exploit inexperienced starters. McLean’s ability to adjust and mix pitches — and to induce timely defensive double plays — limited the tactic’s effectiveness Sunday.

McLean’s outing extended his run of effective starts and underscored his immediate impact on a Mets rotation seeking stability. The 5-2 win in 10 innings gave New York an extra-inning victory and a continuation of McLean’s streak of controlled, low-run performances since his promotion to the majors.