WASHINGTON — David Peterson's first start in more than eight months drifted past in relative obscurity.
The 28-year-old left-hander returned from hip surgery during a Wednesday matinee against the Dodgers on May 29. An effective outing slipped by the wayside with a collapse by the bullpen and theatrics from Jorge Lopez.
His second start against the Nationals on Tuesday night provided Peterson with an opportunity to announce his presence. The left-hander kept the Nationals in check across 6⅔ innings to lead the Mets to a second straight victory, 6-3, in front of 21,570 fans at Nationals Park.
The lefty finished with two earned runs allowed on five hits, two walks and two hit batters with two strikeouts to nail down his first win. In the process, the Mets won their first series since May 6-7 against the Cardinals.
"I think for me that’s the job is to come and give our team a chance to win," Peterson said. "I felt like I was able to do that today, especially with the way the guys were hitting and running. It’s always good to feel like you contributed. It’s good to win a series and looking to close it out tomorrow."
A quality outing from David Peterson
Through two months of the Mets' season, lengthy starts have been hard to come by from the Mets pitching staff.
Peterson helped the cause with an economic outing on Tuesday night. He notched the Nationals were going to be aggressive after CJ Abrams lined out on his first pitch in a six-pitch first inning.
"I tried to play into that and get quick outs, get ground balls early and keep the pitch count down and get the hitters back in the dugout because they were feeling it tonight," Peterson said. "I wanted to get them back running to the bat rack.
He needed only 64 pitches to get through the opening six innings, while he twice stranded a runner in scoring position. Peterson had both his sinker and slider working, with 13 of his 20 outs coming by the way of the ground ball. The slider - Peterson's bread and butter - produced six of his nine whiffs in the outing.
"The second outing here (back) in the big leagues and pushing him, even though the pitch count, we felt comfortable, but for him to go out there in the seventh and get two outs, continue to make pitches, that was good to see," Carlos Mendoza said. "Obviously, he got a lot of quick outs early in the game, which allowed him to get deeper."
With the Mets leading by five runs, the Nats broke through on an RBI single that skipped through a shifted infield. In the seventh inning, Joey Gallo hit a sharp ground ball that connected with first base and looped over Pete Alonso to plate a run.
Through two starts, Peterson pitched to a 1-0 record with a 3.09 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.
Fully healthy now
During the 2023 season, there were several starts where Peterson's command evaded him. His consistent miss often came on the arm side.
With an ERA growing to 6.46 by early June, Peterson found himself in the bullpen. The trade deadline offered a return to the rotation. But throughout that time, Peterson was not completely healthy.
A postseason MRI revealed a torn labrum in Peterson's hip which led to surgery immediately following the season. During spring training, Peterson said he felt better than he had during last season.
"It helps everything out," Peterson said. "Pitching with range of motion and being pain-free is great. Yeah, I feel good right now mechanically and body-wise. Just trying to fill up the zone and get quick outs."
Mendoza had to learn about all of his players stepping into the manager's seat for the first time, but his conversations with Peterson revealed a pitcher in a better spot physically.
"The freedom that he had in his outings and the way he was feeling with his mechanics and staying on line," Mendoza said. "It’s huge for him, and we got to keep it way. We’ve got to make sure we keep this kid healthy and I know he’s a hard worker and it’s good to see him getting on the mound and contributing to the team."
Dedniel Nunez picks up the slack
Despite Peterson's low pitch count, Mendoza made the call to the bullpen as the tying run stepped to the plate with a pair of runners on base and two outs in the seventh.
Dedniel Nunez, in only his eight appearance of his major-league career, helped shut the door by fanning Lane Thomas on a high 97-mph fastball.
"In that moment, I just thought to myself, 'I'm going to beat you,'" Nunez said.
The 28-year-old used his "heavy fastball," as Mendoza put it, to work through the heart of the Nationals' lineup in the eighth inning. He induced a pair of fly balls from Joey Meneses and Senzel before getting Ildemaro Vargas to roll over an inside fastball.
In a tenuous stretch for the Mets' bullpen, which included blown saves by Jake Diekman and Adam Ottavino in the last week, Nunez's strong effort was a welcome sight.
"It’s just stuff overall," Mendoza said of his confidence in Nunez. " It looks pretty heavy from the dugout. The hitters, you could tell by the swings they’re taking on his pitches. Yeah, he’s moving in the right direction."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets: David Peterson showing effectiveness hip after surgery
