Mets’ Nolan McLean rebounds with six solid innings after shortest outing of career

“My job is to get as deep into the game as I can every time I go out,” he said postgame. “I was disappointed in myself last time not being able, so it was pretty important for me today.”

McLean worked around a two-out Corbin Carroll double in the first, but then served up a Nolan Arenado homer on just the second pitch of the bottom of the second.

The crafty right-hander found his footing from there, retiring the next six hitters he faced before hitting Carroll with a pitch leading off the bottom of the fourth. McLean immediately rolled a double-play, though, to put up another zero.

He was able to evade a walk in the fifth and then a single in the sixth, ending his night with just the one run allowed on three hits and a walk while striking out eight Arizona hitters.

“He was pretty solid,” Carlos Mendoza said. “He did a good job pacing himself -- the sinker was good when he needed it, the breaking ball, the sweeper, the curveball, and when he needed to let it eat, he put some on it with the velo.

“He found a way to give us six good innings, so pretty solid there -- just the execution, strike-throwing, the attack, the way he was using all of his pitches, he was pretty good today.”

The Mets' bats couldn't back him up, but they finally came back to life in the 10th to rally for the series-opening win.