PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Nolan McLean pitched six dominant innings and the New York Mets pounced early with a five-run burst in the first two innings, cruising to a 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

McLean allowed two hits and struck out 10 over six scoreless frames, improving to 7-5 as the Mets evened the four-game series at one win apiece. The right-hander, who also fired six shutout innings against Boston on July 10, retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and never allowed a runner past second base until the sixth inning.

Francisco Lindor went 3 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs, providing the biggest blow in the first inning. After A.J. Ewing lined out and Juan Soto flew out to start the game, Bo Bichette drew a walk. Lindor then launched a 1-1 pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run homer, his sixth of the season.

The Mets piled on in the second inning against Phillies starter Alan Rangel. Brett Baty led off with a single and scored on Luis Torrens’ double to left. After Ewing struck out, Soto walked and Bichette singled to load the bases. Lindor lined a single to right that scored Torrens, making it 4-0. Carson Benge then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, plating Soto for a 5-0 lead.

Rangel exited after two innings, charged with five runs on five hits and two walks. He fell to 0-3.

The Mets added their final run in the sixth inning. Torrens singled off reliever Seth Johnson and moved to second on a single by Ewing. Soto singled to center, scoring Torrens. With a 6-0 lead, McLean continued to work efficiently, striking out six of the first nine hitters he faced.

Philadelphia’s only run came in the seventh inning. Leading off against reliever Cionel Pérez, Alec Bohm homered to left field, his 12th of the season. Bryson Stott followed with a single and J.T. Realmuto singled, but Edmundo Sosa grounded into a double play to end the threat.

Pérez worked a scoreless seventh, striking out two. Huascar Brazobán and Jhoan Duran each pitched a hitless inning to close the game. Duran, acquired in a midseason trade, struck out two in the ninth.

The Mets outhit the Phillies 14-6. Lindor, Torrens and Soto each collected two hits, with Torrens driving in a run and Soto adding an RBI single. Bichette reached base three times with a walk and two singles.

Philadelphia’s bullpen kept the game within reach after Rangel’s early exit. Johnson allowed one hit and struck out two in one and one-third innings. Max Lazar yielded one hit over one and two-thirds innings, striking out one. Duran also worked a scoreless inning.

Bohm had two hits for the Phillies, including the solo home run. Trea Turner doubled in the sixth inning but was stranded.

The attendance was 40,132. The game lasted 3 hours, 6 minutes.

The Mets improved to 42-58, while the Phillies fell to 55-45. New York had lost three of its previous four games entering Sunday, including a 6-1 defeat to Philadelphia on Saturday. The Phillies had won four of their previous five.

The early onslaught proved decisive as the Mets jumped out to a 5-0 lead by the end of the second inning. Lindor’s two-run homer in the first set the tone, and the Mets never looked back. McLean’s command of his fastball and slider kept Philadelphia off balance, as he recorded seven swinging strikes among his 10 strikeouts.

The most pivotal sequence came in the bottom of the second inning after the Mets had built their 5-0 advantage. Philadelphia threatened with a single by Bohm and a walk to Stott, bringing Realmuto to the plate. Realmuto grounded into a double play turned by Lindor and second baseman Marcus Semien, erasing the rally and preserving McLean’s shutout.

From there, McLean retired seven of the next eight batters, striking out four in a row during the third and fourth innings.

New York’s defense also contributed. Lindor handled several tough chances at shortstop, and Benge made a running catch in left field in the fifth inning.

The Mets will travel to Milwaukee to face the Brewers on Monday, while the Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series starting Monday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Philadelphia 5, New York 4, and its ELO system gave the Phillies a 64.10 percent probability to win. The Mets were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total of 7 runs went over the over-under line of 8.5.