McLean Starts as Mets Game Against Tigers Hinges on Sweep Push

The mets game at Citi Field put Nolan McLean on the mound for New York against Keider Montero on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. The Mets were trying to finish a sweep after Carson Benge drove home A.J. Ewing in the bottom of the tenth the night before.

Nolan McLean at Citi Field

McLean entered with eight starts, 45 1/3 innings, a 2.78 ERA, a 2.38 FIP, a 0.904 WHIP and a 143 ERA+. He had also struck out 57 hitters. Last September, he held the Tigers to two runs over six innings, so this matchup came with a recent point of reference for New York's rotation.

That line gave the Mets a clear reason to lean on him while they chased another win. The schedule also carried a weather note, with the afternoon game needing to get in if possible.

Keider Montero’s May Run

Montero matched him on the other side. He started for Detroit with 39 2/3 innings over seven starts, a 3.18 ERA, a 3.23 FIP, a 0.958 WHIP and a 134 ERA+.

His May work added another layer. He had allowed only two runs over 12 2/3 innings in the month, which made the Tigers' choice a credible answer to New York's form at the top of the game.

New York entered after Juan Soto left the previous game when he fouled a ball off his foot just below his guard, then watched the club rally from an early 2-0 deficit. The Mets still had the sweep in front of them, and Citi Field had two pitchers carrying different but strong profiles into the same afternoon start.