On a night when Carlos Mendoza was hoping to avoid an early call to the bullpen—especially after the exhausting 13-inning game the night before—David Peterson stepped up and delivered just what the Mets needed in their 5-2 win against the Dodgers.
Peterson pitched for seven innings, matching both his personal record and the longest outing by a Mets starter this season.
“He understood the challenges we were facing, especially with our bullpen,” Mendoza remarked about Peterson.
Griffin Canning managed to pitch 10¹/₃ innings in a combined loss, though rain delays cut the game short after only 2²/₃ innings of play.
Peterson, while following his usual game plan, was clearly aware of the circumstances surrounding the game.
“You feel it in your heart,” Peterson expressed. “What happened [Friday]—I really went after Canning. I wanted to give it my all for the team.”
This effort included keeping star player Shohei Ohtani hitless in four at-bats and hitting him three times.
“He made Ohtani look human,” Mendoza noted.
After tossing the ball to Edwin Diaz, Peterson had to face Ohtani again in the eighth inning.
“I did my job,” Peterson commented, reflecting on his control over Ohtani. “It’s about executing. I treat every player the same; he’s just one of the nine in the lineup. Sure, he’s a fantastic player.”
This performance added to Peterson’s string of impressive outings—he hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any game this season. His recent form shows a strong 2.50 ERA over his last six starts.
Peterson’s consistency has been pivotal, especially with big-name signings like Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas still working toward their debuts after spring training injuries.
Though he had walked 11 batters in his previous three starts, he limited himself to just two walks this time around.
His only real mistake came early on when Andy Page hit a single. Dalton’s follow-up play drove in his second run, but after an RBI hit from Hernandez, Peterson settled down, only allowing three hits the rest of the way, thanks in part to three double plays that helped him face the minimum number of batters.
