Yamamoto, McLean Set Up 2.78-ERA vs 3.34-ERA Duel at Citi Field

Q: Can McLean's 17-inning scoreless streak survive a Dodgers lineup that has utterly dominated the Mets all season?

Probably not for long, even if McLean is capable of limiting the damage. The case for McLean is real. He enters with a 17-inning scoreless streak, a 0.75 ERA over his last four starts, and six straight outings of at least six innings. The change in approach matters: he has used his four-seamer and sinker more aggressively early in counts, which has improved his efficiency and helped him get deeper into games. His overall profile still supports the surge, with a strong strikeout rate and a 3.32-3.34 ERA over roughly 20 starts. But the matchup is brutal. The Dodgers have dominated the Mets all season, winning the earlier meetings cited in the reporting, and they have been one of baseball’s best road teams. Their lineup is deep enough that McLean does not get many soft pockets, and they already showed they can break through against him. In Friday’s 4-3 Dodgers win at Citi Field, Los Angeles scored four runs against the Mets, with Tucker taking McLean deep on a 95.8 mph fastball. That does not mean McLean is headed for a short outing or a blowup. His recent command and sinker/fastball usage give him a chance to navigate the lineup better than he did earlier in the season, especially if he stays ahead in counts and avoids chasing strikeouts at the expense of pitch count. The safest expectation is that the streak ends, but not necessarily with a collapse. Against this Dodgers offense, six competitive innings and two or three runs allowed would still qualify as another strong start.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Jul 24

Saturday’s Mets-Dodgers game pairs two of baseball’s hottest starters, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto carrying a 2.20 ERA over his last 10 starts and Nolan McLean a 0.75 mark over his last four.
McLean’s surge has come from attacking early with four-seamers and sinkers, helping him work at least six innings in six straight starts after command issues had limited his outings.
Yamamoto has also trended deeper into games, going beyond six innings in 50% of his starts and coming off a complete-game, two-run outing—one of only 11 complete games in the majors this season.
From May 26 through Friday, among 63 MLB pitchers with at least 50 innings, McLean ranked sixth in ERA at 2.08 and Yamamoto 10th at 2.43, setting up a rare matchup of elite recent form.