Acce s the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. PHILADELPHIA In some ways, this was the Mets A-Team. Five starts into his career, Nolan McLean has a legitimate case to be a Game 1 starter in the postseason. Following the rookie righty were some of the best arms Carlos Mendoza could unleash short of Edwin Devon Williams Jersey Daz Gregory Soto, Brooks Raley, a rebounding and fireballing Ryan Helsley to keep the game close. Mendoza, who used every position player on his expanded roster besides Hayden Senger, managed as if winning were imperative. Nolan McLean #26 of the New York Mets reacts on the mound during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST The lineup did not receive the me sage in digging an NL East hole that looks insurmountable. Bats that had rolled through August as the best in baseball have been held to eight total hits in the past two games. Five hits (and no runs) were not enough in a series-opening setback against the Phillies, 1-0 at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, as the Mets fell to eight games back with 18 games remaining. Explore More There was just a wisp of NL East hope entering play, but the Mets could have told themselves they could make up ground head-to-head in a four-game set against a club they swept two weeks ago. Hopele s at-bats against Aaron Nola, David Robertson and Matt Strahm before virtually hopele s clutch at-bats against Jhoan Duran ensured that hope was gone. Weve been pretty inconsistent, Mendoza said after the Mets dropped a third straight and were temporarily 3 games ahead in the wild-card race. We put ourselves in this position, which were still right there, obviously. The goal is to win the division. Were eight back now. But weve got to keep going. Brandon Nimmo of the New York Mets catches a fly ball hit by Bryson Stott of the Philadelphia Phillies. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Their offensive frustrations could be boiled down to two at-bats in the ninth inning and two at-bats from Cedric Mullins. At long last, a potential Mets rally formed with a last shot against Duran, the best arm they would see all night. Pete Alonso singled and Mark Vientos doubled to put the potential tying run on third and go-ahead run on second with one out. Cedric Mullins of the New York Mets reacts after he fouls out to J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST But the best contact hitter the Mets have to offer could not make contact: Jeff McNeil narrowly mi sed a double down the first base line that fell foul before swinging through a 101.9 mph eyeblink. I thought Jeff had a very good at-bat, said Mendoza, who then watched Francisco Alvarez sell out for a fastball in an at-bat that featured three breaking balls, all whiffs. For the first eight innings, the Mets only had truly threatened in the second, when McNeil reached third and Brett Baty first with two outs. But Mullins, whose funk , chased a diving knuckle-curve to extinguish the rally. The deadline pickup went 0-for-2 and is 0-for-26 in his past 10 games before being lifted for pinch hitter Luisangel Acua in the eighth. Acua, who has become e sentially a pinch runner and defensive replacement, flied out. Its a rough start. Been trying to find that adjustment felt like I had it at one point, said Mullins, who added his timing has been off during a 30-game Mets tenure in which he is hitting .174 with a .556 OPS. CHECK OUT THE AND Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets tags out Harrison Bader of the Philadelphia Phillies trying to steal second base during the fourth inning. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST A rehabbing Jose Siri is close to becoming an option, which would curtail Mullins time. Wasted was a grittine s from McLean, who was not his sharpest but was when he needed to be in a fifth career start and fifth time impre sing. The spin master allowed just one run on seven hits with three walks in 5 / innings, navigating out of jams that cost him length, but yet again found a different way to impre s. Delivering insights on all things Amazins Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Facing a strong Phillies lineup that already had seen him once and had been shut out for eight strong innings McLean noticed early on that Bryce Harper & Co. were sitting on his sweeper. So he backed off what may be his best pitch and leaned more heavily on his fastballs, curveball and changeup. And when he believed J.T. Realmuto had a feel for timing against him, he hesitated within his windup to help induce a pop-up. I got comfortable throwing everything for a strike and able to expand [outside the strike zone] as well, and just kind of trusting everything I do, said McLean, whose nail on his middle finger ripped off in the second or third inning. He shrugged it off. The Mets then did the same to their division aspirations. Austin Frey Jersey