PHILADELPHIA – When Carlos Mendoza was asked over the weekend about having three pitching prospects come up and immediately excel, he acknowledged that it was pretty special but mused that the Mets needed “the other guys to step up.”
At that point, he was talking about the veteran arms in his rotation, but over the last few games, and in Monday’s 1-0 loss to the Phillies in particular, it’s become clear that the offense needs to be added to the list.
Pete Alonso singled off closer Jhoan Duran to lead off the ninth and, with one out and pinch runner Ronny Mauricio on first, Mark Vientos laced a double to the corner in left to put both runners in scoring position. Jeff McNeil came a few inches away from an extra-base hit down the line but struck out swinging to bring up Francisco Alvarez, who swung through three straight pitches to end it.
All that erased Nolan McLean’s efforts against a potent lineup that nonetheless was playing without the injured Trea Turner and Alec Bohm. The Mets’ bats, meanwhile, were lifeless against Aaron Nola, who had posted a 9.96 ERA over his previous six starts. The Mets had also wasted a gutsy major-league debut from Brandon Sproat Sunday, scoring just a single run for him before tacking on another in the ninth in the 3-2 loss to the Reds.
It doesn’t help that a team that made a habit of late-game theatrics last season hasn’t shown that spunk this year: They’re now 0-and-60 when trailing after eight innings. The Reds and Giants, both playing late Monday, draw within 3 1/2 games of the Mets for the third and final Wild Card, while the Phillies increase their lead in the National League East to eight games.
Nola allowed no runs and three hits over six innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts. He faced the minimum over his last 3 1/3 innings, aided by Brett Baty getting picked off first in the fifth.
McLean labored, but much like he did in his last outing against the Tigers, he limited damage and found his way out of all but one jam. He allowed one run and seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings; over his first five major-league starts, he has a 1.42 ERA.
The Phillies got that run in the second, after Max Kepler led off with a single. Harrison Bader singled him to third, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double, and Nick Castellanos hit a sharp liner past a diving Pete Alonso for the 1-0 lead.
McLean got into trouble again in the fifth, when he put two on with one out by walking Otto Kemp and Kyle Schwarber. J.T. Realmuto, though, hit a high chopper for the force out at second and McLean bared down, freezing Max Kepler on a 2-and-2 front-door sinker.
“We knew there was something different about him – the way he goes about his business, the way he carries himself, but we also knew that he needed time to continue his development,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of McLean before the game. “But man, what we’re seeing here – this kid is special. He’s got a chance to be special. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him; just continue to take it one outing at a time. He knows where we’re at. They all know where we’re at and it’s just fun to watch him pitch.”
It would probably be a little bit more fun if he could also watch his lineup hit.
Notes & Quotes. Luis Torrens was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right forearm contusion; he sustained the injury blocking a ball Saturday. Hayden Senger was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. Torrens played through a similar injury early in the season, but the Mets opted to be cautious since Francisco Alvarez is playing with a torn UCL in his right thumb and a broken left pinky. “Given where we’re at with Alvy and who knows what’s going to happen with him, it’s hard to go into a game with just one catcher,” Mendoza added. “You’ve got to give Luis some credit here, understanding where we’re at as a team and the meaning of every game.”…Tylor Megill (elbow sprain), who was lit up for two innings in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse Sunday, complained of arm tightness when throwing his secondary pitches. Megill had an MRI Monday and it’s possible his season is over.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.