Every pitcher faces adversity, and for Mets' right-hander Nolan McLean, that moment came in his last start. After enduring the shortest outing of his young career—lasting just four innings while getting knocked around by the Los Angeles Angels—McLean was determined to make a statement.

And statement made. Taking the mound Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, McLean delivered exactly what the Mets needed: six solid innings of bounce-back baseball.

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

The outing wasn't without its early hiccups. McLean worked around a two-out Corbin Carroll double in the first inning, but then served up a Nolan Arenado homer on just the second pitch of the bottom of the second. It could have been a moment for things to unravel, but the crafty right-hander found his footing.

From there, McLean retired the next six hitters he faced before hitting Carroll with a pitch leading off the bottom of the fourth. No problem—he immediately rolled a double-play to put up another zero. He evaded a walk in the fifth and a single in the sixth, ending his night with just one run allowed on three hits and a walk while striking out eight Arizona batters.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza praised McLean's composure and pitch selection. "He was pretty solid. 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."

While the Mets' bats couldn't back him up through nine innings, they finally came to life in the 10th to rally for the series-opening win—a fitting reward for a pitcher who refused to let one bad start define him.