PHILADELPHIA — They were not spotless, but a pair of spot starts were solid enough for the Mets.
Trevor Williams threw four more scoreless innings in the Mets’ 8-2 victory over the Phillies in the opener of a doubleheader Saturday, before David Peterson at least kept his club in the game in the 4-1 nightcap loss at Citizens Bank Park.
Neither was expected to be a part of the Mets’ rotation in the third week in August, but two games on one day and injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker resulted in both getting the nod.
Trevor Williams and David Peterson AP (2)Williams, making his first start since July 7, has been excellent regardless of what role the Mets have required from him. He has built a streak of scoreless innings primarily out of the bullpen, and in the opener he upped the streak to 24 straight frames without a run — with some help from his defense and bullpen.
“Every good club has to have someone like that,” manager Buck Showalter said of Williams. “Not once has he ever put himself over what the team’s needs are.”
Williams allowed four hits and walked two, pitching his way out of a couple of jams. He has not allowed a run since July 2, and his ERA has dropped to 2.84.
He allowed a pair of two-out singles in the first inning, but the 30-year-old escaped danger by inducing a ground out from Bryson Stott.
In the fourth inning, Williams issued a one-out walk to Stott before Jean Segura’s single put runners on the corners. The Phillies tried to match the Mets’ aggressive baserunning from a night earlier — when a delayed steal allowed Starling Marte to nab home — and were less successful.
Williams struck out Garrett Stubbs, and the ball went from catcher Michael Perez to Francisco Lindor while Segura made his way to second base. Lindor caught it and returned the ball to Perez, who applied the tag on a leaping Stott up the third-base line. It went for a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play that kept the Phillies off the scoreboard.
Williams walked Philadelphia’s Matt Vierling to open the fifth, then was pulled for Seth Lugo, who stranded the runner.
Mets pitcher Trevor Williams delivers against the Phillies. Getty Images“I know my role, and I know we have a tremendous starting rotation, we have a tremendous end of the bullpen, middle of the bullpen and beginning of the bullpen,” said Williams, who has shuffled between jobs. “Everyone has fallen into their role nicely.”
Peterson was less effective, but it was the Mets’ offense that failed them in the second game. The lefty, who had spent the past two weeks with Triple-A Syracuse and was called up as the 27th man, lasted 4 ²/₃ innings, in which he allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks.
“They had a couple down the lines that they got, and they found some holes,” said Peterson, who mostly limited the damage.
The Phillies’ offense got one in the first inning against the lefty, when J.T. Realmuto singled after Kyle Schwarber doubled, and scored twice more in the third. With two on, Alec Bohm tucked a double down the left-field line that put Philadelphia up, 3-1.
Peterson was tiring in the fifth, when he loaded the bases with two outs. Showalter called on Stephen Nogosek, who struck out Vierling to keep the Mets afloat.
Peterson may be more helpful down the stretch for the Mets as a reliever, but he has proven capable as a starter, too.
