David Peterson continues to be standout exception on Mets staff

The Mets bullpen was worn out for weeks by an inability by most of the starting staff to work deep into games, necessitating multiple moves before the trade deadline. 

All-Star lefty David Peterson has been the lone exception to that troubling trend lately, posting the Mets’ last seven outings of at least six innings pitched over his past nine appearances. 

The latest came in the Mets’ first game after acquiring three key relief arms after Thursday’s deadline, a six-inning quality start in a 4-3 loss in 10 innings Friday night against the Giants at Citi Field. 

The last Mets starter other than Peterson to work at least six innings was Clay Holmes on June 7 against the Rockies nearly eight weeks ago. 

“I think it’s a focus for all of us. Everyone is going out there trying to give our best for the team,” Peterson said after the game. “Baseball’s gonna work out the way it does, but I think it’s an emphasis for me to try to get as deep as I can, to get through six-plus and hand it off to the revamped and loaded bullpen. 

“So it’s definitely a huge thing for me to try to get as deep as I can.” 

Peterson allowed two earned runs in the second inning on an RBI double by Casey Schmitt and an infield out by Jung Hoo Lee, but none over the next four frames until the Giants made it 3-0 against reliever Ryne Stanek in the seventh. 

But Peterson succeeded in keeping the Mets close enough until they were able to mount a comeback with three runs in the seventh and eighth to force extra innings before falling short in the 10th. 

“I felt good about it. I wish I would have left the game in a different spot,” said Peterson, whose ERA for the season remained 2.83. “They had a little bit of room, but our offense was able to come back and tie it up. So I felt good about it, but I think there are some things to go back and work on for the next one.” 

With 127 innings pitched over his 21 starts, the 29-year-old lefty already has exceeded his previous career best of 121 innings from one year ago. 

“Just in terms of being able to add more innings year over year, I think the goal is to make every start and go as deep as I can, and where we end up numbers-wise, we end up,” Peterson said. “Being able to have a healthy season last year, I’m trying to build off that and be available every five days.”