Rookie right-hander Nolan McLean has given the New York Mets’ rotation a jolt of energy since his major league call up last month.
McLean will aim for his fourth victory in as many starts during the middle game of a three-game series against the host Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
McLean (3-0, 0.89 ERA) has only allowed two runs in his three outings and hasn’t issued a walk in his past two starts. He was dazzling on Wednesday against the first-place Philadelphia Phillies, tossing eight scoreless innings and striking out six.
“That’s one of the best starts I’ve seen him have,” rookie catcher Hayden Senger said. “It was really incredible. He was able to get early outs in counts and keep his pitch count low, but he was also able to strike them out when he needed to.”
McLean, who has recorded 21 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings, has shown no signs of being intimidated by major league veterans.
“I’ve always been a believer in my stuff,” said McLean, who has yet to oppose the Tigers. “I’m a confident guy. Obviously, the hitters here are the best in the world, and I know that. But I also know I have good stuff, and if I go out there and execute, I can get a lot of guys out as well.”
The Mets haven’t seen that type of dominance from their more seasoned starters this season.
“We’ve been missing that type of performance pretty much the whole year,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Sawyer Gipson-Long is likely to pitch multiple innings for the Tigers on Tuesday, either as a starter or a bulk reliever. He was elevated from Triple-A Toledo when the rosters expanded on Monday.
“A lot of moving parts,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “September represents an opportunity to continue how we’ve used our roster. We’re going to go series by series — and sometimes game by game — to give us the best chance to win.”
Gipson-Long, who underwent elbow and hip surgeries last year, has been called upon six times at the major league level this season, including two starts. He is 0-1 with a 4.32 ERA in 25 innings.
His most recent major league outing came on Aug. 13, when he notched two scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox. He will be facing the Mets for the first time in his career.
Gipson-Long has made 12 appearances in the minors this season, including 11 starts, but has pitched limited innings. He logged a 3.63 ERA in 39 2/3 innings.
Gipson-Long and the other Tigers pitchers will have to cool off Juan Soto, who drove in six runs in the Mets’ 10-8 victory on Monday. Soto blasted a grand slam and a two-run triple.
Detroit holds a nine-game lead over the second-place Kansas City Royals in the American League Central, but the Tigers aren’t taking anything for granted.
“We’ve got a lot of tough games ahead, and we’ve got to continue to stay grounded with where we’re at,” Hinch said. “We know where we are on the calendar, we know where we are in the standings, we know what the situation is, and none of that helps us win tomorrow. So we’ll show up ready to play and continue to do this one day (at a time), while everybody else around us wonders what’s next.”
–Field Level Media
