ST. LOUIS -- After an hour-plus rain delay pushed back first pitch on Wednesday afternoon, Freddy Peralta gave the Mets the type of outing they needed from the front of their rotation.
Peralta was sharp through 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks to go with seven strikeouts before exiting an eventual 2-1 walk-off loss to the Cardinals in 11 innings at Busch Stadium. For a Mets team still searching for offensive consistency early in the season, Peralta provided stability and swing-and-miss stuff from the outset.
The right-hander came out attacking, striking out two batters in the first inning with his four-seam fastball before settling into a rhythm. Peralta retired 11 straight hitters at one point and needed just 51 pitches to get through four scoreless innings.
Peralta’s pitch mix kept St. Louis off balance throughout. He recorded three strikeouts on his fastball, three on his changeup and another on a curveball, finishing with 15 whiffs across 92 pitches. Peralta topped out at 96.2 mph and consistently worked ahead in counts during his most efficient stretch.
The only significant trouble came in the fifth inning. After issuing his first walk of the game and allowing a single, Peralta faced runners on second and third with one out in a scoreless game. He responded by striking out Pedro Pagés on a curveball in the dirt before getting Victor Scott II to ground out, stranding both runners and preserving the tie.
Peralta returned for the sixth, but he ran into traffic, allowing a leadoff single and issuing a walk before striking out Alec Burleson. Peralta exited with runners on first and second and one out, with Huascar Brazobán entering in relief. One of those inherited runners later scored, leaving Peralta charged with one run.
Through two starts, Peralta has continued to show the swing-and-miss ability and consistency the Mets were counting on when they acquired him in an offseason trade with the Brewers to anchor the rotation.