Escobar, Peterson lead Mets past Rangers
NEW YORK — Eduardo Escobar hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer, expectant father David Peterson tied a career high with 10 strikeouts in six innings and the New York Mets beat the Texas Rangers 4-3 Friday night to stop a season-high three-game losing streak.
Mark Canha hit a tying RBI single in the fourth that ended an 0-for-14 slide. Two batters later, Escobar snapped a 0-for-10 rut by hitting a 3-2 sinker from Glenn Otto (5-5) into the right field second deck for a 4-1 lead.
Escobar's 417-foot drive, his fifth homer in his last 24 games, gave the Mets their first win since beating the Marlins Saturday in Miami. In between wins, the Mets had scored three runs and were outscored 11-1 in a two-game series against Houston.
"Nobody cares more than Eduardo does, almost to a fault, and it's well documented what kind of a human being he is," manager Buck Showalter said. "It felt like 25 other guys hit the home run with him. That's kind of how much guys kind of revel in whatever he does."
Peterson (5-1) took the mound after scheduled starter went Chris Bassitt on the injured list; Showalter hinted the right-hander was dealing with COVID-19.
"We can talk about a lot of things in that game, but his outing was probably the key part of it, especially if you look under the circumstances," Showalter said.
With wife Alex expecting the couple's first child, Peterson allowed three runs and five hits, including solo homers to Marcus Semien and Nathaniel Lowe. The left-hander got his third career double-digit strikeout game, throwing first-pitch strikes to 17 of 22 hitters and did not walk a batter in consecutive starts for the first time in his career.
"First-pitch strikes are vital and they didn't seem too eager to jump on the first pitch tonight," Peterson said. "So it was good to just pump them in there and get the count in my favor."
Peterson pitched after getting reassurances from his wife that the baby would not be born Friday. He said it is possible he may go on the paternity list Saturday after going to the ballpark for his day-after-start routine.
"It's been on my mind this week," Peterson said. "I talked to her, and she's kind of given me the assurance that we're going to be able to get through tonight."
Otto made his second start since missing three weeks on the COVID-19 injured list and allowed four runs and four hits in four innings. He threw first-pitch strikes to just five of 18 hitters.
Semien gave Texas the lead by hitting an 0-1 slider to left field in the third for his ninth homer. Lowe hit a 435-foot drive to the second deck in right in the fifth.
Semien singled, took third on a throwing error by Peterson on a pickoff try at second and scored on a groundout by Adolis García in the sixth. After allowing a base hit to Jonah Heim, Peterson fanned Kole Calhoun with a slider.
Seth Lugo and Adam Ottavino followed Peterson's outing by tossing a scoreless inning apiece. Edwin Díaz pitched fanned two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 17th save in 20 chances.
NICE CATCH SON
Family was involved when Lowe hit his 11th homer.
The drive was caught by 12-year-old Kellen DeSantis of Long Beach, New York, a son of Apple TV cameraman Keith DeSantis. The ball traveled about halfway up section 301 overlooking the 370-foot sign and the elder DeSantis recorded a closeup and the subsequent replay.
MEN IN BLACK
New York has won three straight in black jerseys and is 5-5 in the black jerseys since bringing them back last year.
BOBBY BONILLA DAY
Mets owner Steven Cohen marked what he termed Bobby Bonilla Day on Twitter. When the Mets released Bonilla in January 2000 with one season at $5.9 million remaining, they agreed to pay him the salary deferred for 12-36 years at 8% interest, 25 equal payments of $1,193,248.20 each July 1 from 2011-35 for a total of $29,831,205.
TRAINER'S ROOM
METS: RHP Max Scherzer will be activated Tuesday in Cincinnati after missing over a month with a strained left oblique muscle. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has been sidelined since straining his oblique while pitching against St. Louis on May 18. … Showalter said RHP Jacob deGrom, sidelined since last July 7, felt good after throwing 27 pitches to hitters in Port St. Lucie, Florida, onWednesday. The Mets will announce what his next step will be on Saturday. "He is continuing to follow every mark that we have for him," Showalter said. ... RHP Trevor May (right triceps inflammation) will throw off a mound Saturday and could make a minor league rehab appearance next week.
UP NEXT
LHP Martín Pérez (6-2, 2.22 ERA), who is 6-0 over his last 10 starts, pitches Saturday for Texas. RHP Trevor Williams (1-4, 3.64) starts for the Mets.