Nolan McLean Navigates Challenging Second Inning to Secure Victory for Mets

Following the Mets' 7-5 triumph against the Braves on Friday evening, manager Carlos Mendoza described the second inning as "risky." The Mets had established a 2-0 lead thanks to back-to-back home runs by Bo Bichette and Juan Soto, but starting pitcher Nolan McLean encountered difficulties. He surrendered two runs, issued three walks, and allowed two hits, all while throwing a staggering 42 pitches.

Mendoza revealed just how close he was to substituting McLean during that tough inning. “That was his last hitter there,” he noted, highlighting the discomfort that comes with such a high pitch count. After a lengthy offensive break for the Mets, Mendoza believed that if the team had quickly retired, McLean might not have returned to the mound.

Reflecting on his own experience, McLean remarked, “You don’t ever really prepare to go throw 40 pitches in an inning.” He acknowledged the fatigue that set in but felt relieved to limit the damage. “I was pretty tired. Was able to kinda work out of it with minimal runs, minimal damage, which I was happy about,” he added.

The rookie acknowledged that his control was a significant issue during the game. He struggled to locate his offspeed pitches and praised the Braves for their ability to foul off good throws. Mendoza concurred, stating, "He was missing big time arm side with all of his pitches." Despite the challenges, McLean managed to regroup, allowing only two more baserunners in the following innings before his exit after the fourth.

By the end of the night, McLean had thrown 93 pitches (55 for strikes), giving up two runs on three hits and four walks while recording six strikeouts. However, the 24-year-old was not satisfied with just four innings of work and showed visible disappointment when Mendoza informed him he would not pitch the fifth. Understanding the decision, McLean remarked, “I gotta do a better job of, later in the count when they are fouling it off, just keep challenging them.”

Despite the rough outing, McLean expressed the team's willingness to embrace any victory, stating, “We’ll take ugly victories over clean losses.” Now sitting 4.5 games behind the final wild card spot, the Mets are eager to continue their pursuit of a more favorable position when they meet the Braves again on Saturday.