MINNEAPOLIS — David Peterson had the Twins swinging and missing, at his four-seam fastball in particular Saturday, in one of those performances that could serve as a morale booster for the inconsistent Mets left-hander.
The results were mixed.
Peterson amassed strikeouts early, but had plenty of traffic to avoid throughout the afternoon.
In all he allowed three earned runs over six innings in the Mets’ third straight loss, an 8-4 defeat at the hands of the Twins at Target Field.
The Mets matched their season low by falling 13 games below .500.
And for a third straight game, a leaky Mets bullpen factored heavily into a loss.
Drew Smith allowed a bases-loaded triple to Max Kepler in the seventh, giving the Twins a comfortable cushion after Peterson had kept the Mets close.
Drew Smith reacts after issuing a walk to Twins’ Alex Kirilloff during the seventh inning. APPeterson got 17 swings and misses on his pitches, with 10 of them coming on his four-seam fastball.
His eight strikeouts matched a season high, but he allowed eight hits and one walk with a hit batter over his six innings.
“I felt like we were able to establish [the fastball] early and use all of the offspeed pitches, including the sinker to give a different look to get back to the four-seamer,” Peterson said. “I felt like I could put the four-seamer where I wanted to and use everything else to kind of complement it.”
The outing was Peterson’s second in his last three in which he lasted at least six innings and allowed three earned runs or fewer.
After a disastrous start to the season, which earned him a demotion to Triple-A Syracuse, the left-hander has pitched to a 3.42 ERA in 16 appearances since his recall.
“A lot of it is just getting back to being myself and the best version of me as a pitcher,” Peterson said.
The Mets will have to decide if he has shown enough to warrant consideration for a back-of-the-rotation job next season.
Tylor Megill, who is scheduled to start the series finale Sunday, also fits that category.
David Peterson pitches in the first inning of the game against the Twins at Target Field. Getty Images“It’s good to see [Peterson] pitching well this time of the season on the road against a team that has got everything on the line,” manager Buck Showalter said.
“That’s an all right-handed lineup and when you look at left-handed starters in the minor leagues, how are they going to do against right-handed hitters? If not they become relief pitchers. … [Peterson] had some weapons today and gave us a good chance to win.”
Brandon Nimmo’s fourth leadoff home run this season and 12th of his career got the Mets started against Kenta Maeda.
The homer was Nimmo’s third this week and extended his career high for the season to 23.
Minnesota Twins’ Max Kepler watches his three-run triple during the seventh inning against the Mets. APThe Mets weren’t finished in the inning.
Jeff McNeil singled and stole second before Daniel Vogelbach’s two-out RBI single extended their lead to 2-0. Vogelbach entered the day with a 1.003 OPS over his last 19 games.
Donovan Solano’s two-run single in the second tied it 2-2.
Ryan Jeffers singled and Willi Castro doubled him to third with two outs before Solano delivered.
Max Kepler celebrates with third base coach Tommy Watkins after hitting a three-run triple in the seventh inning. Getty ImagesThe Mets avoided further damage in the inning when Pete Alonso made a leaping grab on Jorge Polanco’s line drive for the final out.
Peterson recorded two quick outs in the third before Jordan Luplow poked a double past first base and Kyle Farmer’s bloop single brought him home to give the Twins a 3-2 lead.
The inning ended with Omar Narvaez throwing out Farmer on an attempted steal of second.
The Mets wasted an opportunity in the sixth.
Brandon Nimmo reacts after striking out as the final out of the 8-4 loss. APVogelbach and Ronny Mauricio both walked before lefty Kody Funderburk retired Brett Baty on a broken-bat grounder to first base.
Peterson escaped the sixth without a run scoring after Ryan Jeffers missed on a safety squeeze attempt and Narvaez picked off Luplow, who had started toward the plate from third base.
Peterson walked Jeffers, but retired Matt Wallner to keep the Mets’ deficit at 3-2.
Smith entered in the seventh and allowed two singles and a walk before Kepler hit a rocket that nearly cleared the right-field fence for a grand slam.
The ball went off the fence for a bases-clearing triple and Farmer’s subsequent double against Jeff Brigham scored Kepler.
Alonso homered leading off the eighth to pull the Mets within 7-3.
The home run was Alonso’s 43rd of the season.
D.J. Stewart hit a solo home run with two outs in the eighth, his 11th of the season.
Castro homered in the bottom of the inning against Brigham to complete the Twins’ scoring.
