Mets’ Freddy Peralta Faces Challenges in Loss to Rockies

It seems like the third time wasn’t lucky for Freddy Peralta.

The Mets’ pitching stumbled once again late in their game against the Rockies on Friday, marking the third consecutive game without a starting pitcher and an ongoing struggle with endurance.

Peralta had four scoreless innings but then allowed an RBI via a fielder’s choice in the fifth. Unfortunately, he later gave up a go-ahead double to Jake McCarthy, resulting in a 4-3 loss for the Mets.

Despite a solid start, Peralta departed the game right after McCarthy’s RBI single, which put runners on second and third. He wrapped up the night with seven hits and eight strikeouts in 5⅓ innings. He acknowledged feeling “pressure” to complete his outing.

“I have to keep trusting the process,” he reflected post-game. “I feel good, really good. Everything was going well because of my hard work. But when I’m on the mound, I just go for it. That’s all there is to it. There’s definitely more to come.”

Acquired from Milwaukee in January, Peralta has only completed six innings once this season across six starts, and his current ERA stands at 3.90—his worst in a full season since 2020.

However, he expressed contentment with his performance, even if he didn’t reach the sixth inning, and appreciated the backing from his coach.

“He’s done it before, so he’ll get there,” Carlos Mendoza stated about Peralta, who managed to pitch into the sixth inning. “He’s an ace. I’m not worried about him.”

Mendoza also noted that Peralta sometimes aims for perfection, which can lead to difficulties. Overall, he believes Peralta is performing quite well.

Moreover, the pitcher’s teammates didn’t provide much scoring support, before a brief offensive surge in the eighth inning, which occurred after Peralta had already been substituted for Sean Manaea.