Rain cuts Mets short right after David Peterson allows four runs in fifth inning vs. Atlanta
The Mets are hosting Atlanta this weekend in a premier early-season matchup, a four-game wraparound set featuring good pitchers and probably even better hitters, in a series with potentially far-reaching implications in the NL East race — especially in the context of the remade schedule that significantly lessens intradivision play.
But the main character these few days may well be Mother Nature.
Atlanta took the opener Friday night, 4-0, in a game shortened to the minimum five innings by a steady rain.
David Peterson allowed all four runs, including three on Matt Olson’s home run in the top of the fifth.
Within seconds of Max Fried setting down the Mets in the bottom of the inning, which made the game official, umpires requested the tarp. Eighty-eight minutes later, MLB decided the game was over.
“We knew it was going to be some drizzle,” said manager Buck Showalter, who was unhappy that the teams didn’t get to finish. “We didn’t think it would be enough to stop the game.”
Peterson said: “The more water you put on, the worse it’s going to get. It was pretty trashed there in that fifth inning. It continues to eat away. You can only keep it dry for so long.”
The rain began shortly before first pitch and is expected to last through Sunday. That would seem to present issues for the next two contests, at 4:05 p.m. Saturday and 1:40 p.m. Sunday.
The tricky part for the Mets, who have lost five of their past six games: They need to play both of those games for Max Scherzer to be eligible to return from his suspension to face Atlanta in the finale on Monday (when it is supposed to be drier, if chilly).
MLB banned Scherzer for 10 games — games, not days — for violating its foreign-substance policy for pitchers. So far, he has sat out eight games.
“I do know that doubleheaders are killers. They’re tough,” Showalter said before the game. “It messes with your bullpen, it messes with your rotation, and in our case, it messes with a player coming off a suspension. If you see us rained out, you know it’s a really bad forecast.”
Fried wound up with the third shutout and fourth complete game of his career. He struck out seven and allowed three hits and one walk. In four starts, including 18 consecutive scoreless innings, he has a 0.45 ERA.
Peterson was pitching as well as he had all season — getting through four scoreless innings on only 49 pitches — but unraveled in the fifth.
Peterson struck out six and walked one. He allowed one hit in the first four innings but four in the fifth.
“I felt good. I felt like I had all my pitches. I felt like I was executing,” he said. “I missed my spot on the fastball to {Ronald] Acuna and missed my spot on the slider to Olson.”
Through six starts, Peterson has a 7.34 ERA. He said the first four innings “gave me a lot of confidence” that he is close to clicking.