Smith and Peterson Keeps Mets Rolling Past Cubs

 METS 5 - CUBS 2 

For second year starting pitcher David Peterson it has been a roller-coaster ride thus far in 2021. At 1-5, and with an ERA well over 5, it was easy to see why Monday night's start against the Chicago Cubs would be a big one for the 25-year old lefty. 

After getting knocked out early in each of his previous two starts, Peterson had to show the Mets that he can be mainstay in this rotation. The Mets need him to be, especially with Carlos Carrasco and Noah Syndergaard still sidelined for a couple more months.

 Had Peterson put up another stinker on Monday, the Mets would have almost certainly been in the tough spot of weighing whether to keep him at the Major League level, or sending him down and getting someone else up here.

Instead Peterson gave the Mets his best outing of the year, a six-inning, one-hit shutout against the red hot Chicago Cubs. In fact the only hit Peterson gave up Monday was on an infield single in the top of the third inning off the bat of Eric Sogard 

At times in his brief major league career, Peterson has looked brilliant. This was one of those times. It reminded people why the Mets liked him so much after his breakout season last year. 

Offensively, the Mets did just enough. An RBI single by James McCann and a two-run double by Kevin Pillar in bottom of the fourth plated in the first three runs of the night for the Amazin's. Then in the fifth inning, Dom Smith cracked his fifth homer of the year to center field to give the Mets a 4-0 advantage. 

The bullpen bent but didn't break. Trevor May once again made things a little too interesting when he served up two solo homers to Anthony Rizzo and Patrick Wisdom in the top of the seventh; but it was the combination of Aaron Loup and Edwin Diaz that was too hot to handle for the Cubs. 

For his part, Diaz struck out the side in the ninth to notch his 13th save of the year in 14 opportunities. 

The Mets are 18-6 at home this year. They'll look to ride the momentum into Game 2 tomorrow night with Taijuan Walker on the bump.