Perhaps no Met has been more versatile or valuable during a memorable week than David Peterson.
With each outing carrying larger implications, the 29-year-old southpaw has assumed the role of starter, closer, and multi-inning reliever — and he has excelled when called upon each time.
Last Sunday, Peterson finished off a breakout regular season by throwing seven shutout innings against the Milwaukee Brewers to help the Mets avoid a sweep and set up a decisive doubleheader the following day against the Atlanta Braves which ultimately saw them sew up a postseason berth.
Once perceived as an afterthought following a few inconsistent major-league stints, Peterson went 10-3 with a 2.98 ERA this year. Yet he was not chosen to be in the Mets’ starting rotation for their Wild Card Series in Milwaukee — manager Carlos Mendoza instead went with Jose Quintana in the winner-take-all Game 3.
Quintana held up his end of the bargain with six scoreless innings. Still, pandemonium broke out when the Brewers hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh before the Mets rallied with Pete Alonso’s memorable ninth-inning, three-run home run to take the lead.
With Edwin Diaz having thrown 39 pitches in the previous two innings, Mendoza turned to Peterson to close out Milwaukee, which he did by working around a lead-off single by striking out Joey Ortiz and inducing a series-clinching double play by Brice Turang.
In Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday evening, the Mets got Kodai Senga back on the mound, but a pitch count allowed him to go just two innings. All the while, Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was dealing, holding his former team scoreless through seven innings while a lead-off Kyle Schwarber home run had the hosts up 1-0 three pitches into the game.
Mendoza once again turned back to Peterson, who managed to trade zeros for three innings with Peterson to keep the Mets in it. They once again pulled out some late magic with five runs in the eighth to steal Game 1, 6-2.
All in a day’s work for Peterson, who has been the epitome of a good soldier to take on any responsibility his manager throws his way.
“Where we’re at in the season, all hands on deck,” Peterson said. “I’m ready whenever they need me in any capacity.”
