Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets dropped the first of two games against the Red Sox Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss–a final score that’s looking all-too familiar for the team so far this season.

On The Mound

David Peterson pitched wonderfully tonight. His line ended with six innings, two earned runs, four hits and two walks. (Peterson made his debut last year against the Sox, allowing two runs in 5.2 innings in that one.)

Peterson’s primary mistake tonight was dropping a slider over the plate that Bobby Dalbec popped over the right-center field wall. Rafael Devers and Kiké Hernandez hit a double and a bloop hit, respectively, in the sixth inning–what ended up as Peterson’s last–for the second run.

After Peterson’s six, Jeurys Familia, Trevor May and Miguel Castro combined for three scoreless innings, featuring a nice play from Francisco Lindor the help Familia get out of an inning.

The primary bullpen pieces, three which pitched tonight, continued its wonderful start to the season.

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

At The Plate

The problem with the Mets’ great pitching tonight, as it has often been in April, is the offense’s engine sputtered tonight. One may argue they forgot the car keys altogether.

The only run for the night came on a solo home from from Jeff McNeil–a much-needed good sign for McNeil, who is inching back to hitting .200 (and hopefully on the road to .300).

They totaled seven hits for the night, two of which were eventually thrown out on the bases–James McCann trying to stretch a single into a double ahead of the pitcher, who surely could’ve bunted him over, and Kevin Pillar getting caught stealing two batters later.

Instead of potentially scoring a run in the fifth, the Mets ran into two outs.

There’s no denying Garrett Richards pitched well tonight. His slider and curveball were particularly nasty, and his control was on point (no walks after 13 in his first four starts).

There’s also no denying, though, that pitchers who have struggled in 2021 have come out on the other end of starts this year looking like they’ve righted the ship. Richards had 10 strikeouts tonight. He had 12 through his first four starts.

Pete Alonso had three of those, and along with a fourth in the ninth inning notched a Golden Sombrero for the night.

Overall, the Mets swung and missed at 26 pitches and totaled 13 strikeouts–a lot for a team averaging the least strikeouts per game in the majors.

On Deck

DeGrom’s coming.

Tonight I thought of the scene from The Wire where the neighborhood scatters when Omar turned the corner coming to collect his cut. This is what comes to mind a day before Jacob deGrom‘s fifth start of the year.

After his best pitching performance ever–a complete-game, two-hit shut out featuring 15 strikeouts–deGrom returns to face probably the best offense he’s faced so far this year.

Former Philadelphia Phillie Nick Pivetta will oppose deGrom. Pivetta was traded to the Red Sox last year for a couple relievers who promptly imploded once they got to the Phillies. Such was their 2020 season.

Pivetta has seemingly turned a slight corner with the Red Sox in 2021, though, with a 2-0 record and 3.48 ERA through four starts. His walk rate is higher than ever, but also has a 1.355 WHIP–the second-best mark of his career so far.

The 28-year-old has a career 6.08 ERA against the Mets in 37 innings, all which came while with the Phillies. Jeff McNeil in particular is 4-for-8 with a walk, a home run and two doubles against the righty.

Wednesday’s game starts at 6:40 p.m. on SNY. Here’s to hoping the Mets find their keys tomorrow.