DETROIT — The McLean train keeps on rolling.
Mets rookie sensation Nolan McLean, after a wild and shaky first inning, dominated the Tigers in his fourth big-league start on Tuesday night which eventually became a 12-5 victory.
The righthander allowed two runs in six innings and left with a 12-2 lead. He gave up three hits and walked three, all in a six-batter span after he got the first two outs in the first inning. McLean then retired the final 14 men he faced. He struck out seven and threw 90 pitches.
McLean is now 4-0 record in his first four outings. His ERA after Tuesday is 1.37.
“He’s been really, really good for us,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the game. “But I don’t want to put too much . . . he’s making his fourth start here in the bigs. I know the expectations are through the roof right now, but we’ve just got to let him be himself, go out there and give us a chance to win a baseball game.”
The Mets, who had 17 hits Tuesday night, had a five-run fourth inning and six-run seventh as they scored in double digits for the second day in row against Detroit. The Mets won on Monday, 10-8.
Pete Alonso gave McLean a 1-0 lead with a 435-foot home run to center in the first off righthander Sawyer Gipson-Long, who was making his third start of the season.
But McLean had trouble throwing strikes in a 24-pitch, two-run bottom of the first during which half his offerings were balls.
It started with a pair of two-out walks, both on 3-and-2. McLean then fell behind Spencer Torkelson 2-and-0 before the Tigers first baseman grounded an RBI single to left.
Wenceel Perez followed by rocketing a hanging curve for a one-hop single to Juan Soto in right. Riley Greene scored easily to give Detroit a 2-1 lead, but McLean was spared further damage when Luis Torrens fired Soto’s throw home to second base to nail Perez for the final out of the inning.
McLean walked Zach McKinstry to open the second, but McKinstry was thrown out by Torrens trying to steal second. After a single by Dillon Dingler, McLean retired the next three batters, and then he had a 1-2-3 third. And fourth. And fifth, when he struck out the side. And the sixth, which he opened with his fourth consecutive strikeout.
The Mets gave McLean a 6-2 lead in a five-run fourth that included three-run homer off the rightfield foul pole by Torrens.
Soto led off the seventh with his 37th home run, a towering 408-foot blast to right-center that gave him five homers in his last five games. Alonso followed with his second and 33rd of the season to make it 8-2.
The Mets added four more runs and six hits in the inning, with all the damage coming off Chris Paddack.
The Tigers scored three runs in the ninth, all off Kevin Herget, who worked 2 1/3 innings. Ryne Stanek got the final two outs.
Clay Holmes is scheduled to face the Tigers in Wednesday’s series finale. David Peterson will open a three-game series in Cincinnati on Friday. Mendoza said “there’s a good chance” Jonah Tong will make his second big-league start on Saturday.
That leaves Sunday as decision day for Mets brass. They could start either struggling Kodai Senga or struggling Sean Manaea, or start one and use the other in relief as a middle-inning “piggyback” pitcher.
Mendoza on Monday said of the pair, “They’re part of the rotation.” But asked to clarify that on Tuesday, he said: “Well, they are until they’re not,” adding that no decision had been made on a Sunday starter.
Two other possibilities: rookie Brandon Sproat, who threw seven shutout innings in his most recent start for Triple-A Syracuse, and Tylor Megill, who allowed three runs in four innings for Syracuse on Tuesday in what was likely his final rehab start from a sore elbow.
Notes & quotes
Jesse Winker’s season may be over as the DH/OF had to suspend his minor-league rehab assignment to get checked out by doctors in New York. Winker, who has been out since July 11 with lower back inflammation, has appeared in just 26 games (.229, one HR) after re-signing for one year and $7.5 million in the offseason. “Sucks for Wink,” said Mendoza, who said “we’re probably running out of time” in terms of a 2025 return . . . Tyrone Taylor (left hamstring strain) was placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to Saturday. Jared Young was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.