The Mets’ starting pitching has recently been, well, a bit of a mixed bag, relying partly on experimental strategies, some ups and downs, and, let’s not forget, some rain delays.
This isn’t a complete disaster, but aside from rookies Jonah Ton and Nolan McLean, the other starters have had their fair share of less-than-stellar performances lately.
Fortunately for David Peterson, the Mets’ offense stepped up and saved him from a potentially eye-opening loss, even after he gave up a staggering eight runs in just two innings during the game against Miami.
Despite managing to tie the game at 8-8 in the sixth, the bullpen’s late-game struggles resulted in an 11-8 loss at home on Saturday.
Manager Carlos Mendoza commented on Peterson’s performance, saying, “He didn’t have it today. You could see he struggled to hit the strike zone, and when he did, they capitalized.” It’s true; it was quite a battle for him.
This marks his second shaky outing in just four games, a disappointment considering he had been consistently going deeper into games throughout the latter half of the season.
Earlier this month, Peterson also found himself struggling against the Braves, allowing six earned runs over just 3¹/₃ innings.
From the get-go against the Marlins, he had a rough start, surrendering five hits and falling behind 5-0 in the first inning, thanks to a couple of two-run doubles by Eric Waggaman and Joey Wimmer.
Though it seemed like he regained some composure in the second inning, the Marlins didn’t let up, scoring three more runs for an 8-2 lead.
Peterson acknowledged his situation, noting, “I think we have to be careful not to fall behind, or they’ll take advantage.” Eventually, Mendoza replaced him with Chris Devensky, who managed to retire Xavier Edwards on an infield play.
Peterson’s record now stands at 5-2 with a 2.49 ERA for the period leading up to June 11, but his last 13 outings have pushed that ERA up to 4.85, making it a less-than-ideal 3.61 for the season.
This year, he pitched a career-high 152 innings, adding another 31 in 2024.
“I’m fine,” Peterson remarked after the game.
With the recent promotions of McLean and Ton, the Mets now have six pitchers rotating through the lineup, as Mendoza noted before the game.
McLean has impressively recorded a 0.89 ERA in his first three starts, while Ton notched his first win, giving up just one run over five innings on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea, who both dealt with injuries earlier in the season, are rounding out the rotation along with reliever Clay Holmes, who has logged 142 innings.
As for Mendoza, he is maintaining faith in his pitchers, saying, “I’m not worried because they know their capabilities. But we haven’t had that consistency in the starts. David has been reliable but faced challenges today.” He added, “I trust Sean Manaea, I trust Kodai Senga, and Clay has been solid for us. They will keep stepping up as we enter this critical month.”
