Making his fourth start since getting promoted to Triple-A this season, Mets prospect Nolan McLean had another good outing, logging 5.1 innings while giving up two earned runs.
The right-hander got the win as Syracuse beat the Iowa Cubs, 4-2, in Game 2 of Wednesday’s doubleheader. McLean (5-3) struck out five, walked two and threw 76 pitches (50 strikes). His ERA in Triple-A rose slightly to 2.31 while his overall ERA is 1.81 through nine starts and 49.2 innings.
The 23-year-old began his day in immediate danger after Christian Franklin hit a ground-rule double on the first pitch of the inning. McLean got out of trouble with a strikeout, groundout and flyout.
Things got messy for the righty again in the third after a single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases with one out. McLean was able to retire the next hitter on a popup to give him a chance to escape the inning unscathed, but a single by Ben Cowles on the first pitch brought home two to give Iowa a 2-0 lead. A groundout ended the inning.
It didn’t take long for Syracuse to respond, though, as it tied the game in the top of the fourth. Joey Meneses had a run-scoring double before Luis De Los Santos‘ RBI groundout made it 2-2.
From there, McLean set down the last seven hitters he faced before getting pulled with one out in the sixth. He left with a lead thanks to Donovan Walton‘s two-run homer in the top half of the frame.
RHPs Chris Devenski and Tyler Zuber and LHP Felipe De La Cruz pitched the final 1.2 innings of relief and didn’t allow a run. Both games of the doubleheader were seven innings as the minor leagues continue to use that system briefly used in MLB.
Syracuse swept the DH, winning Game 1 by a score of 3-2.
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