McLean Dominates, Mets Offense Erupts in 9-1 Rout of Reds
Nolan McLean threw 7.0 innings of three-hit, zero-run ball with 9 strikeouts, and the Mets backed him with a nine-run offensive performance. New York handed Cincinnati a 9-1 loss on June 17, with six different Mets recording at least one RBI.
The story of the night was McLean, and it wasn't particularly close. Seven innings, three hits, one walk, nine strikeouts, zero earned runs — that's a line that makes a pitching coach exhale slowly. He handed the ball to Brooks Raley (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER) and Austin Warren (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER) to close it out, and the Mets' staff combined to allow just one run across nine innings. Cincinnati's Chris Paddack lasted only 4.1 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 earned runs before exiting, and the Reds' offense never found traction against a New York bullpen that looked completely in control.
On the offensive side, the Mets spread the damage across the entire lineup. Juan Soto went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Bo Bichette matched him hit-for-hit at 3-for-4, added an RBI, and crossed the plate three times — the most runs scored by any individual on the night. Francisco Alvarez also went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run. Marcus Semien contributed a 2-for-4 line with an RBI. Mark Vientos and A.J. Ewing each drove in 2 runs despite going a combined 2-for-8 — the kind of efficient damage that inflates a lead in a hurry. Six different players with at least one RBI is not an accident; that's a lineup that appears to be operating with real depth right now.
For the Reds, the timing is rough. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz has been sidelined since June 1 with a right hamstring strain and is reportedly targeting a rehab assignment this weekend — his absence from the lineup is the kind of hole that shows up in games like this one. Whether his return changes Cincinnati's fortunes remains to be seen, but on this night, the Mets looked like a team that doesn't need opponents to be shorthanded to win convincingly. With the trade deadline less than seven weeks away and questions swirling about New York's direction, a performance this complete — dominant starting pitching, a deep offensive attack, a clean bullpen — looks like exactly the kind of argument for staying the course.