Mets vs. Red Sox Game 5 Recap

Mets LHP David Peterson  (Credits to MetsMerizedOnline.com)

The New York Mets defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-3 tonight for their second consecutive win and improved their record to 3-2 on the season. In the top of the second inning, LF J.D. Davis led off with  a single, DH Yoenis Cespedes followed with a hit by pitch and 2B Robinson Cano drove in Davis with a RBI single. CF Brandon Nimmo then walked to load the bases and SS Amed Rosario came through with a two-run single. 3B Jeff McNeil singled with one out in the fifth and then Davis drove him in with a two-run homer, his first of the season. In the top of the eighth inning, Cano doubled and was then taken out for pinch runner Andres Giminez. Giminez went to second on catcher Wilson Ramos's ground ball which helped break up a double play. Nimmo drove in Giminez with an RBI double and 1B Pete Alonso walked to load the bases. McNeil then came to the plate and broke the game with a bases clearing double to make it a 8-2 game.

LHP David Peterson made his Major League debut and was helped out by his defense in the bottom of the first inning after Davis threw out lead-off hitter 2B Jose Peraza and then struck out star DH J,D. Martinez on a sharp slider  Peterson then retired 3B Rafael Devers to end the inning. He had another scoreless inning in the bottom of the second inning, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the third inning. Peterson gave up a lead-off double to former Met catcher Kevin Plawecki, a walk to LF Andrew Beintendi and a base hit to Peraza which loaded the bases. He was able to refocus and struck out Martinez again on a slider and then got Devers to line out, but a run still scored after Rosario was unable to complete a double play, but no other damage. Peterson had a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth inning and came into the bottom of the fifth inning at only 52 pitches. He retired CF Jackie Bradley Jr to start the inning, but then gave up an infield hit to Plawecki and walked Benintendi. Peterson was able to escape out of trouble once again after Peraza grounded into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play. He gave up a one-out double to Devers in the bottom of the sixth and and an RBI single to RF Kevin Pillar and was then taken out. His final line was 5.2 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Peterson showed a lot of poise and command for his debut and mixed in his four pitches of a fastball, curveball, change-up and slider well. He was effective with his change-up and curveball against the righty hitters and threw harder with  his fastball than expected at 93-94 mph. It will be fun seeing how he continues to progress. RHP Drew Smith came in next and got the last out of the bottom of the sixth inning. LHP Justin Wilson followed with a scoreless bottom of the seventh inning. RHP Dellin Betances came in next and threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning. RHP Hunter Strickland gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI ground-out to Bradley Jr, but was able to get the last three outs,

The Mets next game is tomorrow night also against the Red Sox, but this time at home at Citi Field at 7:10 p.m.