The New York Mets are riding a wave of momentum, with their starting pitchers leading the charge. Unfortunately for the Boston Red Sox, the Mets’ hitters are thriving as well. The Mets aim to extend their winning streak to six games on Tuesday night, hosting the Red Sox in the second game of a three-game interleague series.
David Peterson (8-1, 2.83 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets, facing off against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford (8-12, 4.12 ERA). The Mets are coming off a 4-1 victory on Monday, with Luis Severino delivering another strong outing, allowing just one run over seven innings. The win marked the fifth straight for the Mets (74-64), who are now just a half-game behind the Atlanta Braves for the final National League wild-card spot.
The Mets’ starters, including Peterson, Tylor Megill, Jose Quintana, and Sean Manaea, have been dominant, posting a collective 1.44 ERA during the winning streak. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza praised his rotation, saying, “That’s one of the biggest reasons we are where we’re at. We’re going to continue to need them and rely on them.”
Meanwhile, the Red Sox (70-68) are struggling to find their footing. Monday’s loss extended their skid to three games, missing another opportunity to close the gap in the American League wild-card race. Boston remains 4 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals, who also lost on Monday. The Red Sox have managed just three runs over their last three games, their lowest output in a three-game span since early May.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora emphasized the urgency of turning things around, saying, “I know what the other teams are doing. They’re not playing well either, but the days that we don’t take advantage of it is a wasted day. So we’ve got to come here and find a way to win a game on Tuesday.”
In his last start, Peterson pitched seven solid innings, allowing two runs in the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has been consistent, throwing at least seven innings in each of his last three starts with a 2.11 ERA. Peterson has a 1-1 record with a 3.38 ERA in four career games against the Red Sox, including his MLB debut in Boston in 2020.
Crawford, on the other hand, took the loss in his previous start, giving up two runs over 6 2/3 innings as the Red Sox fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0. He also lost his only appearance against the Mets earlier this year, allowing four runs over four innings in a 5-4 defeat.
