Caught In A Numbers Game

With Justin Verlander having just successfully pitched in a rehab start, and Max Scherzer spending his time in suspension by eating glass in a blind rage, David Peterson’s start was really under the microscope tonight. For four innings, it looked like he was going to make the decision really difficult for Buck Showalter and crew, as Peterson threw four shutout innings, only giving up a hit and a walk in the rain.

But in the fifth inning, Peterson was destroyed. He gave up a single to Eddie Rosario and a double to Kevin Pillar with one out. Then after getting Michael Harris on a fielders choice at the plate after nine pitches, he had nothing left for Ronald Acuna Jr. He threw an absolute meatball to Acuna on the first pitch, and he smacked it to left field for an RBI single to make it 1-0 with the rain coming down and everyone in the park knowing that this fifth inning would probably act as the ninth inning. Then, on the very next pitch, he threw an entire plate of meatballs, lasagna, and a plate of prosciutto to Matt Olson, and he hit the entire dinner all the way to Mama’s of Corona.

Absolutely crushed 🤯#ForTheA | @mattolson21 pic.twitter.com/xEWUJ8lo3u

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 29, 2023

Matt Olson knocked down the speakeasy brick by brick. As for Peterson, he’s probably going to be out of the rotation because in the end, it’s a numbers game. Those numbers are 1.636 (Peterson’s WHIP), 11.6 (H/9), 3.2 (BB/9), and 2.5 (HR/9). Those numbers were going into this game, and while I’m sure some of them slightly improved tonight, but not enough to help him, especially after another loss to the Braves that seemed like it was 2022 all over again. Olson hitting a soul crushing homer, and Max Fried dominating (Fried has an 0.45 ERA, which is absolutely insane.)

The good news is that Brett Baty got hsi first hit of the season off a lefty, and a good lefty at that. He might be on his way to being the every day third baseman if he keeps this up. The other good news is that the Mets are giving people who had a ticket tonight to this five inning rain shortened and rain soaked game a voucher to another midweek game (not the Yankees series) that you can go into your My Mets Tickets account and grab. I remember when other owners the Mets had stopped doing things like that after 2013.

Today’s Hate List

1. Max Fried
2. Matt Olson
3. Susan Olsen
4. Susan Ross
5. Cody Ross