Mets’ Struggles Continue Despite Peterson’s Performance

On June 7th, Clay Holmes marked the day when the Mets saw someone besides David Peterson complete six innings in their starting lineup.

Peterson kept his six-inning streak alive on Wednesday, but it wasn’t enough as the Mets suffered their second consecutive loss.

This time around, Peterson’s performance was a bit off, allowing four runs from left-handers, the highest since June 27th, including two runs from his third home run this year.

“There were definitely some things I was pleased with but also some pitches that I missed,” Peterson reflected. “Ultimately, that cost us the game.”

Before this game, Peterson had a 1.42 ERA over his last five starts, being one of the few starters providing the Mets with much-needed stability as the season nears its critical juncture.

On this occasion, he faced stiff competition from Gavin Williams of Cleveland.

Still, Peterson maintained that his approach remained unchanged. “You don’t come to the ballpark hoping the offense bails you out,” he noted. “I see how hard they work and how talented they are.”

He did voice some regret about missing pitches early in the game, admitting, “That’s on me. It put us in a tough spot from the start.”

In a couple of innings, he allowed a two-run homer to David Frye and then hung a slider that Angel Martinez capitalized on for Cleveland’s second home run. Ironically, he had only given up one homer in his previous six starts but allowed two in consecutive innings this time.

Meanwhile, Pete Alonso, who had hit three home runs in his prior five games, went hitless on Wednesday, a struggle mirrored by the rest of the lineup. Alonso’s pursuit of tying Daryl Strawberry’s franchise record still continues.

He’ll have another opportunity to deliver in Milwaukee on Friday, a venue where he has historically excelled, despite it not counting toward his regular season totals.

Prior to the game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stated they plan to stick with their rotation, as Kodai Senga follows on Friday and Frankie Montas, who has struggled with a combined 12 runs over just 8¹/₃ innings in his last two starts, is scheduled to pitch on Saturday.

After a day off on Thursday, the Mets will return to face Atlanta on Monday.

In roster updates, right-handed pitcher Justin Hagenman was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, and Dom Hamel was sent down. Hagenman made a positive impact, pitching two scoreless innings on Wednesday.