While it wasn’t always a smooth ride, rookie left-hander David Peterson was impressive in his debut with the New York Mets last night. He managed to limit a very good Boston Red Sox lineup to just two runs in 5.2 frames, allowing seven hits and two bases on balls. He struck out three rivals.
He debuted at a difficult venue (Fenway Park) against a good lineup. And while he wasn’t stellar, Peterson, the New York Mets’ 2017 first round draft pick, handled himself with the poise of a veteran.
“That’s his first outing,” Rojas said. “He handled himself like it was one of many outings he’s had at the Major League level.”
The Mets’ rookie did encounter some trouble in the third inning. After a couple of base hits and a walk, he loaded the bases with no outs on the board. Things could have been ugly. However, he gained his composure, came back from a 2-0 count to a 3-2 one, and then struck him out with a very good slider. One out. The next batter hit for a double play and the inning was over.
“This is one of the greatest days of my life,” said Peterson. “This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid. To go out there and make my first Major League start and get the win, I couldn’t have asked for much more.”
A chance to stick with the Mets
The Mets won, and everybody was happy. Now, Peterson will most likely be given a chance to stick in the rotation at least until Marcus Stroman returns from a left calf tear.
“You can’t ask a guy to have a better outing than he had tonight,” said second baseman Robinson Canó. “He was filthy tonight. He was putting pitches where he wanted.”
“His poise, once again, is something that stands out,” Rojas said. “His matureness, how he’s able to handle the scenario, that’s a great thing.”