It’s foolish to forecast a career on the basis of one pitch. That’s why we have scouts and analysts and other who get paid a ton of money to forecast a player’s career, and players get drafted and move up and down a major league team’s system on the basis of these forecasts and on his consistent performances. Certainly, a blogger’s stamp of approval based on one pitch is pointless.
But I’m going to do it anyway because screw it. It’s 2020. Allow me this pleasure.
David Peterson’s first ever major league start was perilous from the beginning. The first ever batter he faced hit a ball off the Green Monster. But in a fortuitous twist of fate, J.D. Davis did his best Mookie Wilson impression and threw out Jose Peraza by a mile and a half to start Peterson’s career. Peterson then cruised through the first two innings before running into trouble in the third.
The Mets had a 3-0 lead on an RBI double by Robinson Cano and a two run single by Amed Rosario in the second off Matt Hall, who himself was making his major league debut. So Peterson had some wiggle room as the Red Sox loaded the bases on him in the third with nobody out. Now he’s facing J.D. Martinez as the go ahead run and this was the first crunch time moment in Peterson’s career. Martinez, who hit 79 home runs the last two seasons combined, worked the count 3-2. Peterson, in his third inning of major league work, throws a nasty slider in the inner half and Martinez flails at it for the first out.
A f***ing 3-2 slider. To J.D. Martinez. With the bases loaded and nobody out.
Now granted, pitchers come up to the majors better prepared than ever before. Better training, better coaching, better diets, more information, etc. Add to that that pitchers aren’t afraid to throw all pitches in all counts, and maybe this isn’t the eye-opener I’m making it out to be. But it’s one thing to throw the pitch, it’s another to execute it. Peterson did both and it was a sight to behold. Does it mean he’s headed for stardom? Can’t tell you that. But what it means is that he is the Mets’ fifth starter until further notice.
The Red Sox scored a run on the very next play as a weird double play ended the inning with a run scoring. I’m not going to bore you with the details because I’m still not sure what the hell happened, but suffice to say that it was the best outcome the Mets could have hoped for. Davis gave Peterson some more breathing room in the fifth with a two run dinger off the Pesky pole in the fifth, while Peterson made it through 5 and 2/3’s, giving up two runs while giving up 7 runs, striking out 3 and walking two. Those are phenomenal fifth starter numbers and if he can give the Mets anything close to that the rest of the season, the Mets will be fune.
Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil drove home the remaining three runs with doubles to round out the snowman and take an 8-3 victory home and sweep the series against a Red Sox team whose hitters are grumbling about their pitchers, which I thought stopped happening in the 70’s, but okay Boston. Do you. As for the Mets, they welcome the Red Sox to beautiful downtown Flushing on Wednesday and Thursday with Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz waiting at home, and probably pissed that they didn’t get to make the trip to Boston to pick up some cannoli at Mike’s Pastries. So they’re angry. Watch out, Red Sox.
Today’s Hate List
- Roger Clemens
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