It was a Friday night pitchers duel at Tropicana Field between the Mets and Rays as the two clubs opened a three-games series on Friday night in Tampa. It was Military Appreciation night at Tropicana Field. Both teams worse camo hats to honor the Military during Friday night’s game. The game was close the entire night and was scoreless through four innings before the Mets opened the scoring in the fifth. Tonight marked a special night for Pete Alonso, who called this trip a “homecoming,” as he was returning home to Tampa with the opportunity to play in front of friends and family.

David Peterson took the mound for the Mets and pitched a phenomenal game. He pitched 7.1 innings, giving up just four hits, two earned runs, two walks, and a home run. He struck out nine and retired seventeen straight heading into the eighth inning.

Despite a great outing by Peterson, the Mets couldn’t come away with the win as the Rays walked it off in the ninth to defeat the Mets 3-2. Pete Fairbanks (1-0) got the win for the Rays while Miguel Castro (0-1) took the loss for the Mets.

The game started quietly for the Mets. In the top of the first, the Mets went down in order with a Jeff McNeil pop out, Francisco Lindor strikeout, and a Michael Conforto ground out.

The bottom of the first was strong for David Peterson. Randy Arozarena grounded out, followed by a single by Manuel Margot. Margot was caught stealing at second by catcher James McCann to shortstop Francisco Lindor. Margot’s caught stealing was followed by the first strikeout of the night for Peterson, who struck out Austin Meadows to end the inning.

The Mets offense stayed quiet in the second, with Pete Alonso striking out in his first at bat of the night, followed by a flyout by Dominic Smith and a pop out by Kevin Pillar.

Peterson had a rocky second inning, giving up a double and two walks. Yandy Diaz doubled to left field to start the inning, and then struck out Mike Brosseau for his second strikeout. Peterson then proceeded to walk Willy Adames and Mike Zunino to load the bases. After a mound visit to calm Peterson down, he struck out Kevin Padlo and Brett Phillips to end the second and get out of trouble unscathed.

The Mets’ offense remained silenced in the third inning. Jonathan Villar struck out, James McCann grounded out to shortstop, and Jose Peraza grounded out to end the top of the third inning.

Peterson settled down in the bottom of third, forcing  a groundout by Randy Arozarena, a lineout by Manuel Margot, and a flyout by Austin Meadows.

After a quick three innings, the top of the fourth started similar to how the first three did. The Mets returned to the top of their lineup in the fourth inning, but still could not manage to figure out Tyler Glasnow. McNeil and Lindor struck out to open the inning, followed by a lineout by Conforto.

David Peterson continued to impress in the fourth, striking out Diaz, and forcing a groundout by Brosseau and a pop-out by Adames.

The fifth inning is when the Mets finally broke through Glasnow and the Rays at the Trop. After Alonso and Smith struck out to open the inning, Pillar singled on a ground ball to shortstop to get the Mets started. Pillar was followed by Villar who hit a two-run home run to right field to score Pillar and give the Mets a 2-0 lead over the Rays in the fifth. The Mets’ offense stayed alive for two more singles from McCann and Peraza before a lineout by McNeil to center field for the final out of the inning.

David Peterson continued to roll in the fifth, getting a pop-out by Zunino and striking out Padlo and Phillips.

The sixth inning continued to be a pitching deal as both offenses went back to being quiet. Both pitchers were rolling. In the top of the sixth Lindor grounded out, followed by a walk by Conforto. Alonso struck out and Smith flew out to left to end the inning.

In the top of the sixth, Peterson popped out Arozarena and forced groundouts by Margot and Meadows.

After the sixth inning, Peterson had retired 17 in a row, pitching a very dominant game.

As the game headed to the seventh, both pitchers rolled on. For Peterson, he had not pitched past the sixth inning yet this season, making pitching into the seventh a season-best for him.

In the top of the seventh, Glasnow forced Pillar to fly out, a strikeout of Villar, and a ground out by McCann.

Peterson continued to pitch well in the seventh. Diaz popped out, followed another strikeout of Brosseau, and a ground out by Adames to end the inning.

In the eighth inning, after a groundout by Peraza, McNeil doubled to try to get things started for the Mets. Lindor, continuing to struggle, struck out, followed by a ground out by Conforto.

Peterson’s night went down-hill in the bottom of the eighth. He gave up a lead-off home run to Zunino to open the inning, and a double by Pillar. He struck out Phillips before being replaced on the mound by Trevor May. After relieving Peterson, May forced Arozarena to line out to third for the second out of the night.

May then gave up a double to Margot that scored Padlo to tie the game at two-a-piece between the Mets and Rays as the Rays start rolling and the Mets pitching shows struggle. After the double to Margot, May and Meadows fought through an eight-pitch at-bat that ended in May striking out Meadows to end the inning and prevent further damage.

The game headed to ninth all tied up. After a strong eight innings by Tyler Glasnow, Pete Fairbanks replaced Glasnow on the mound for the Rays.

Alonso in his homecoming game against in Tampa, continued to struggle. He struck out to open the top of the ninth, followed by a fly-out by Smith. Pillar singled to get the Mets offense kickstarted, followed Villar reaching on a fielder’s choice to put runners on first and second for the Mets. McCann grounded out to end the inning.

As the game headed to the bottom of the ninth, Miguel Castro replaced Trevor May on the mound for the Mets. May finished the night with 0.2 innings pitched, giving up one hit and striking out one.

Diaz flew out to open the bottom of the ninth. Brandon Lowe then came in as a pinch hitter for Mike Brosseau who was 0-3 with two strikeouts through the eighth. Lowe walked to put the winning-run on base for the Rays in the bottom of the ninth. The Rays put the Mets in trouble with a single by Adames that advanced Lowe, the potential winning-run on third with one out. A walk to Zunino loaded the bases for the Rays with one out.

With the bases loaded, Joey Wendle came in to pinch hit for Kevin Padlo. Luis Rojas responded with a pitching change, replacing Miguel Castro on the mound with Aaron Loup in hopes of keeping the Mets’ hopes alive.

Loup struck out Wendle for the second out, but it was a walk-off night for the Rays as Brett Phillips singled with two outs to score Brandon Lowe as the winning run for the Rays to defeat the Mets 3-2. Castro (0-1) would be credited with the loss for the Mets. He pitched just 0.1 inning, with one hit, one run, two walks, and no strikeouts. Loup’s night finished with 0.1 inning pitched, one hit and one strikeout.

Tonight was a pitchers duel, but it was the Rays who would come away with the win.

The Mets and Rays continue their weekend series on Saturday at 1:10 pm at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Shane McClanahan, the Cape Coral, FL. native and USF graduate will take the mound for the Rays. It is TBD who will pitch for the Mets.