David Peterson Shines in Relief Despite Mets’ Loss to Diamondbacks

David Peterson took the mound on Sunday with a renewed sense of purpose, even as the New York Mets fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-1. Despite a less-than-stellar performance from his defense, notably third baseman Andy Ibáñez, Peterson delivered a commendable outing, pitching five innings without allowing an earned run.

Peterson, who has transitioned to the bullpen as a bulk reliever, found himself in a tough spot when all three runs scored during his time on the mound were a direct result of Ibáñez’s second throwing error in the sixth inning. “I think it’s just getting back to who I am as a pitcher, getting the sinker down, and using the four-seamer,” Peterson reflected after the game. He noted a positive shift in his performance, stating, “I feel like I have had better feel the last couple of outings with the changeup and the sliders continue to be good,” despite owning a 5.49 ERA.

In his prior outing against Colorado, Peterson allowed two earned runs over four innings, with both scoring after an unfortunate misplay in the outfield. His struggles as a starter have been evident, as he has allowed at least four earned runs in his last four starts, including a seven-run collapse against the Nationals on April 29.

Manager Carlos Mendoza was encouraged by Peterson’s performance, stating, “I thought he was really good today. He got ground balls, made pitches, we didn’t make a couple of plays and it ended up costing us runs. But overall, I thought he threw the ball very well.” Mendoza also employed Huascar Brazobán as the opener, who struggled with command, walking two batters to start the second inning. This set the stage for Ryan Waldschmidt’s two-run double, marking the game’s first scoring.

Reflecting on Brazobán’s performance, Mendoza remarked, “Overall, [Brazobán] had a hard time throwing strikes today.” He opted not to start Tobias Myers in the second inning, citing the right-hander’s recent workload. “Toby was short today. We knew we were going to try to get through the first time through the lineup with the two of them, it just didn’t work,” Mendoza concluded.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.