David Peterson Keeps Chugging Along

The Dog Days are officially here. And the Mets are tired. At least, they’re playing like it.

New York dropped its sixth straight game on Wednesday afternoon, falling 4-1 to the Guardians. Cleveland starter Gavin Williams took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before Juan Soto broke the bid with a solo home run, avoiding what could have been a far more humiliating afternoon.

Still, it was far too little, far too late.

The Mets have now lost eight of their last nine games, an ugly stretch coming immediately after a seven-game win streak.

David Peterson took the mound for New York and, despite struggling early, battled through six innings. He gave up four earned runs on five hits, striking out seven and walking two. The long ball plagued him; after giving up just two home runs in July, he surrendered two in Wednesday’s contest. David Fry‘s solo home run, a 422-foot shot, came on the 4-seamer, and Angel Martínez‘s two-run homer came on the slider.

Entering Wednesday, Peterson ranked in the 60th percentile in fastball run value, slightly above league average. His breaking run value, however, ranks him in the 93rd percentile. Peterson’s xERA (4.24) is a drastic cry from his ERA entering his match with the Guardians (2.83). While Peterson is providing depth (more on that in a moment), runs are something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

The start bumped his August ERA to 4.50 through two outings, though his season-long mark remains impressive at 2.98.

Peterson has become the iron horse of this rotation. Over the Mets’ last 50 games, only eight starters have lasted six innings or more.

Care to guess who started all eight? David Peterson.

After the game, Peterson spoke on the team’s recent offensive woes.

“You don’t come to the ballpark expecting the offense to struggle,” he said. “I see the work these guys put in, and I know how talented they are… The game is going to go the way the game is going to go.”

For now, that game hasn’t gone in the Mets’ favor.

But if there’s a silver lining to this rough stretch, it’s that their most dependable arm is still showing up every fifth day. And if the rest of the team can follow Peterson’s lead, perhaps the tide will turn before these Dog Days devour the season entirely.

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