Mets Rally Behind Nolan McLean's 7-Inning Scoreless Start to Beat Astros 6-2

A Seven-Inning Anchor

The New York Mets secured a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday at Citi Field, with 29,183 fans in attendance. The decisive factor was the performance of starter Nolan McLean, who dominated the Astros lineup for seven full innings. McLean allowed just two hits and walked three batters while striking out four.

He did not allow a single earned run, setting the stage for a comfortable win for the home side. His outing was the longest in the game and established a firm lead for the Mets to build upon.

Scoring Sequence

The game opened with a quick exchange of runs in the first inning. Francisco Alvarez hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Jose Pena to score, giving the Astros a 1-0 lead. The Mets responded immediately when Francisco Lindor singled to right field, scoring Francisco Alvarez and advancing Brandon Nimmo to second base, tying the game at 1-1.

The Mets took control in the fifth inning. Juan Soto singled to right field to score Lindor, making it 1-2. Then, Francisco Alvarez tripled to right field, driving in both Soto and Nimmo to extend the lead to 1-4.

The Astros attempted a late rally in the eighth inning when Alvarez homered to right center, a shot that traveled 436 feet, cutting the deficit to 2-4. However, the Mets added two more runs in the same inning. Alvarez doubled to left field, scoring Jose Semien and Francisco Lindor, securing the 6-2 final margin.

Bullpen Support

Following McLean's seven-inning effort, the Mets relied on their bullpen to close the game. Daniel Duarte pitched one inning, allowing one hit and one earned run while striking out two batters. He recorded the save, improving his record to 5.

Kodai Senga pitched the final inning, allowing one hit and no earned runs. On the mound for Houston, Cristian Javier started but took the loss. He pitched 4.1 innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out four.

Enyel De Los Santos followed, pitching two innings and allowing one hit and no earned runs while striking out two. Kai-Wei Teng pitched the final inning, allowing three hits and two earned runs. Bennett Sousa began the game, pitching 0.2 innings and allowing one hit and one earned run.

Final Records

With the win, the Mets improved their record to 61-75. The Astros dropped to 68-68. The game featured exactly one home run, hit by Francisco Alvarez. The performance by McLean and the efficient work of the relievers ensured the Mets maintained their lead throughout the final three frames.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816719