David Peterson entered Friday night’s contest coming off a quality start against the high-powered Twins lineup. Facing the Reds for the second time this season, Peterson was solid once again, striking out a season-high 10 batters, though he was saddled with a no-decision.

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Peterson began his night by striking out Jonathan India on a sinker in a 1-2-3 first inning. In the second inning, the Reds got the first two men on with singles by Hunter Renfroe and Tyler Stephenson, but after a fielder’s choice, Peterson picked off Noelvi Marte. Peterson escaped the inning by ringing up TJ Friedl on an inside slider.

Peterson cruised through the third inning, striking out Luke Maile on a sinker and getting India to whiff over a slider in a clean frame. In the fourth, Spencer Steer drew a one-out walk, but Peterson again side-stepped trouble by striking Renfroe on a slider and Stephenson on a high fastball.

In the fifth inning, Peterson ran into a jam when Marte led off with a single, and Ronny Mauricio committed an error on a Harrison Bader ground ball. On a 1-2 pitch to Maile, Peterson uncorked a wild pitch, and Omar Narváez made a throwing error, allowing Marte to score the first run of the game. The lefty limited the damage though, striking out Maile and India both on sliders.

Peterson got into immediate trouble in the sixth inning, allowing a lead-off single to Nick Senzel. Steer then jumped on a first-pitch change-up from Peterson and belted it over the centerfield fence for a two-run homer. Peterson got Renfroe to ground out and got Stephenson to whiff over a slider for his 10th strikeout of the game, but Marte singled and Friedl walked, forcing Buck Showalter to go to the bullpen. Grant Hartwig entered and retired Bader to avoid further damage.

It was a strong night for Peterson in the swing-and-miss department, as he registered 15 whiffs on 40 attempts. Peterson’s slider was particularly great, generating whiffs on all eight swings against it. Seven of his 10 strikeouts were on his slider.

“I think a lot of it comes from the work we put in with Heff and the catchers pre-game,” Peterson said post-game. “I felt really consistent with mechanics and I think that leads to consistency of executing pitches. I just felt like my stuff has continued to get better the more consistent the mechanics are the execution is, keeping guys off balance.”

Since returning from Triple-A on June 27, Peterson owns a 3.39 ERA with 68 strikeouts over 61 innings (11 starts, six relief appearances). He’s lowered his season ERA from 8.08 to 5.22 during that stretch as well and he’s walked just three batters over his last three outings.

Every start matters for Peterson right now. With uncertainty surrounding the Mets’ 2024 starting rotation, every outing is more or less a tryout. José Butto, Tylor Megill, and Joey Lucchesi have all recently had success in their outings, leaving four potential starters fighting for two spots.

Despite the unknowns surrounding the Mets’ rotation in 2024, Peterson is making a strong case to keep his spot, or at least stay on the roster as a long-relief option. He was successful in his 2020 debut season, and with his newfound mechanics, has finally blossomed. Peterson’s next outing is lined up for Friday night against the Phillies.