David Peterson extends Mets' run of great starts in win over Diamondbacks
David Peterson of the Mets pitches during the first inning against the Diamondbacks at Citi Field on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
There’s no Jacob deGrom in this Mets rotation — not for a while, at least — and no Taijuan Walker for the time being, either. Which makes what the Mets’ starting pitchers have accomplished even more remarkable.
David Peterson, starting in place of Walker, who is on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder bursitis, pitched 4 1⁄3 innings of scoreless baseball Sunday. That lowered the rotation ERA to 1.07, making it the best 10-game start for any starting pitching staff since earned runs were first tabulated in 1913, according to Sportradar.
The rest of the Mets, meanwhile, came together on a chilly, windy day to put together timely hits, capitalize on pivotal mistakes and turn aside the Diamondbacks, 5-0, at Citi Field for the team’s seventh win — tying the Dodgers and Giants for the most wins in the majors (the Giants will begin a four-game series at Citi Field on Monday night).
Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer in the seventh to give him 14 RBIs. Peterson, in his second appearance and first start, allowed three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
After pitching to a 5.54 ERA last year, Peterson has thrown 8 1⁄3 scoreless innings this year. Mets starters have allowed one run or fewer in eight straight games.
“Our depth has been tested early,” manager Buck Showalter said. “We’ve got two guys in the rotation that we expected to be part of our depth during the course of the season. Very quietly, Pete [Peterson] and Tylor [Megill] have stepped up to take some of the [burden] off of Carlos [Carrasco] and [Chris] Bassitt. It bodes well for us down the road. That’s the one takeaway that I’ve taken from our first 10 games — some of the depth that all teams are concerned with so far has played out pretty well for us.”
That’s only further underlined by the fact that the Mets also are playing without Brandon Nimmo and Mark Canha, who entered COVID-19 protocols Friday.
Showalter said he isn’t sure when the two will be eligible to return but that he is planning for them to be gone for the full 10-day quarantine period.
Walker threw a bullpen session Sunday but likely will need to make at least two rehab starts before being activated, Showalter said.
“You see guys go out there and the guys that you fight with every day, shoulder to shoulder, you see them do well and it makes you want to do well,” Peterson said. “You don’t want to be the guy that doesn’t have a good one. It gives you the confidence to go out there and pitch your game. And yeah, we feed off each other. It’s a great chemistry we have, not only within the rotation, the pitching staff, but the whole team. This whole locker room is ready to go to battle.”
The Mets got on the board in the sixth when, with one out and Alonso on first, Eduardo Escobar hit a line-drive double to right. With Alonso barreling for third, Pavin Smith skied a throw that sailed far over Yonny Hernandez’s head to chase home the run and move Escobar to third.
The Diamondbacks then brought in former Met Oliver Perez for his 700th major-league appearance, though it ended up being a milestone to forget.
He walked Dominic Smith and allowed an RBI single by pinch hitter J.D. Davis. James McCann added a sacrifice fly to bring home Smith for a 3-0 lead. Then, with a runner on and two outs in the seventh, Alonso teed off against reliever Matt Peacock for the 5-0 advantage.
Mets pitching was able to work around two botched plays in right — courtesy of Starling Marte’s ongoing feud with the sun. Marte lost a ball in the glare to lead off the fourth, good for a double, though Peterson was able to extricate himself from trouble. Marte also lost the ball in the sixth for another double, but Chasen Shreve retired the next three in order.
“We’re coming right at you at multiple different sides of the ball — whether it’s on defense, baserunning or in the box,” Alonso said. “We’re going to get ours and we’re going to get after it.”
No matter, it seems, who they have playing (or who they don’t).
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
