Nolan McLean Shines Despite Mets’ 7-1 Loss to Diamondbacks

Nolan McLean let out a roar of triumph as he bounded off the mound, having just frozen Arizona Diamondbacks’ first baseman Ildemaro Vargas with a perfectly placed knee-high sinker on the inside corner to end the top of the sixth inning at Citi Field. The young right-hander’s emotional explosion followed his seventh strikeout, a moment that encapsulated his dominant performance while protecting a slim 1-0 lead against Eduardo Rodriguez, his rival from the World Baseball Classic final just weeks earlier.

As he entered the seventh inning, McLean felt confident, having thrown 85 pitches and allowed only two hits and two walks. “Felt like I had a lot left in the tank,” he remarked post-game, exuding the assurance that comes from a strong outing.

However, the tide turned quickly. After issuing a leadoff walk and recording a strikeout, McLean’s final pitch of the night was a 100th delivery that Jose Fernandez managed to muscle into center field. Reliever Luke Weaver then struggled, allowing four consecutive batters to score, transforming McLean’s promising start into a bittersweet memory as the Mets fell to the Diamondbacks, 7-1.

Reflecting on the loss, McLean accepted his role as the hard-luck pitcher of record. “It’s part of baseball at the end of the day,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll leave guys out there, and our bullpen’s gonna strand them for me plenty of times this year – and it’s already been done, actually, this year a couple times. It’s part of the game, it’s a long season, I know those guys got my back out there.” He concluded his outing with a line of 6.1 innings pitched, two runs allowed on three hits and two walks, while striking out eight batters on 100 pitches, 64 of which were strikes.

Despite the loss, manager Carlos Mendoza praised McLean’s performance, noting, “He was really good today. He had everything working, especially the sinker.” Mendoza acknowledged that the sinker had been inconsistent in earlier outings, but McLean commanded it effectively this time around, throwing 44 of them throughout the night and earning 15 called strikes, including four strikeouts.

McLean attributed his success with the sinker to increased familiarity and adjustments made since his last outings. “It’s a little bit different feel throwing it in cold weather versus back in Florida,” he explained. “So it’s just finding the grip that works, and also some mechanical stuff getting cleaned up.” Mendoza had no intention of letting McLean exceed the 100-pitch mark, banking on the strength of his sinker to secure one more out before exiting.

In addition to his sinker, McLean showcased a solid curveball and sweeper, complementing his four-seam fastball effectively. “Curveball’s been feeling good, definitely felt good tonight,” he said, pleased with his ability to land it for strikes. Overall, McLean achieved 26 called strikes, with the sweeper and curveball proving particularly effective.

As McLean reflected on the high number of called strikes, he believed it spoke more to Arizona’s game plan than his pitching prowess. “I haven’t shown a great ability to throw strikes in the first couple of games,” he admitted, suggesting the Diamondbacks aimed to force him into the strike zone early.

Through three starts this season, covering 16.2 innings, McLean has allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits, six walks, and one hit batter while striking out 20. Despite the defeat, Mendoza emphasized the importance of moving forward, acknowledging missed scoring opportunities while focusing on the positives from McLean’s performance. “Gotta move on. Had some opportunities to score, we didn’t cash in. But you take the positive, and that was Nolan today.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.