What a difference a week makes.
After getting shelled for six runs in his first start of the season, David Peterson faced the same Phillies lineup on Wednesday night and looked like a different pitcher, turning in six innings and allowing just on run while striking out 10. His ERA is still inflated given his rough start on April 7, but Wednesday night's performance was much closer to what the Mets expect from Peterson this season.
"He did a good job," Luis Rojas said after Wednesday's win. "Mixed well, attacked, he didn't walk anybody…you could tell he was ready to go…he was on a mission."
If the mission was to turn in one of the best outings of his career, then mission accomplished. Peterson wasn't ready to say that it was the best of his young career when asked after the game, but it's certainly in the conversation.
"It's one of the better ones I think," Peterson said. "I thought it was a good night. I felt good. [James] McCann and I were on the same page working well."
Peterson's 10 strikeouts matched a career high, tying the 10 he racked up in a win against the Braves on Sept. 19 of last season. He also went six innings and allowed one run in that outing, but issued four walks. On Wednesday night, he didn't allow a single free pass. Another contender for his best big-league start would be his outing right after that win over the Braves, when he allowed one run over seven innings, but struck out just four.
After last season's strong finish and Wednesday's dominant outing, Peterson is showing he can flash true strikeout stuff and be a big boost to New York's rotation that is among the best in baseball in a small sample size to begin the year.
"Pete's got elite stuff," McCann said. "When he's pounding the zone and attacking the way he was…it's tough. He had the mentality of foot on the gas pedal from pitch one, and he got right after guys and forced them to swing. He was making quality pitches…any time you're making quality pitches with good stuff like his, it's going to be a good day as a pitcher."
It's always tough for a pitcher to deceive a lineup they just faced in their last outing, but Peterson made it look easy on Wednesday, and he and the Mets would love that version of Peterson to stick around.
"I felt good," Peterson said. "I thought James and I were on the same page pitch-wise, and he did a hell of a job back there. Just getting ahead of guys leads to good results."
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