Nolan McLean struggled early with his curveball and sweeper, issuing two first-inning walks and allowing RBI singles that produced two Tiger runs. He adjusted by relying on his sinker and changeup, and those two early runs were the only runs he surrendered over six innings. The Mets' offense attacked Sawyer Gipson-Long the second time through the lineup, with Luis Torrens delivering a three-run shot off the foul pole as the key blow. The offense continued to press against Chris Paddack, who previously pitched for the Padres and had once been regarded as competition for Pete Alonso in the NL Rookie of the Year race.
Statistically, McLean's start Tuesday night against the Tigers was the least of the four he's made so far in his very young career. But it might have been the most impressive for all that. McLean reported for duty having trouble landing his curveball and sweeper, with a pair of first-inning walks and RBI singles yielding two Tiger runs and more trouble at hand in the second - and all this came against a Detroit team that's spent the season feasting on the American League.
But McLean figured it out, riding the sinker and changeup until he could harness his disobedient breaking stuff: Those two first-inning runs were all he allowed in six innings of work. Meanwhile, the Mets ambushed Sawyer Gipson-Long and his lawyerly moniker (a sawyer is actually a sawmill worker, but shh, nobody likes a pedant) the second time through the batting order, with the key blow a three-run shot off the foul pole from Luis Torrens.
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