Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

The Mets continue a three-game series against the Nationals in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

Mets Notes

• Mark Vientos has three hits, including two home runs, and six RBI over his last two games
• Juan Soto has reached base safely in all 16 games this month, and he's on a power surge with six home runs since the calendar flipped to August
• Kodai Senga has allowed a total of three earned runs over his previous two starts, striking out nine hitters in 10.0 innings

What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

• Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 

• Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account. 

• Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. 

• Select the SNY Mets game you wish to view from the Multimedia Center. 

How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

• Download the free MLB App.

• Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 

• Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  

• To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.

• Juan Soto hit one of the Mets' four home runs in a commanding 8-1 win over the Nats
• Mark Vientos also stayed hot, launching his second home run in as many games
• David Peterson did a "hell of a job" on the mound, striking out 10 hitters in eight dominant innings
• Meanwhile, Francisco Alvarez was placed on the IL with a thumb sprain and will be re-evaluated in 10-14 days
• With Alvarez needing surgery at some point, the Mets know they'll need some production from Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger
• Brandon Sproat was excellent once again for Triple-A Syracuse, allowing jut one run in 6.0 innings of work

Phillies notes: Outfield playing time in flux as Bader adjusts, Marsh heats up originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The outfield playing time controversy strikes again.

Despite scoring 29 runs over the past three games and going 15-for-32 with runners in scoring position, there’s a sense of tension lingering in the Phillies’ clubhouse.

Nick Castellanos has the day off. After starting 236 straight games before his streak was broken in mid-June following a disagreement with Rob Thomson, a knee issue has made him more mindful of his workload.

“He’s had a little bit of a knee problem since Yankee Stadium, so just mindful of that. Although it’s not really bothering him right now … I just want to keep him healthy,” the Phillies’ manager said.

In the clubhouse this morning, Castellanos told reporters that newly acquired Harrison Bader has been a bit frustrated with his playing time.

Bader, who posted a .778 OPS with Minnesota before being dealt at the July 31 trade deadline, has hit just .171 in 41 at-bats with Philadelphia. A consistent run could help the 31-year-old find his stroke.

“I don’t know,” Thomson said when asked if Bader could get everyday playing time. “I have to keep the other guys going, too. I think it’s probably going to be more of a rotation than anything else.”

“I think it’s a normal reaction to a new team, just trying to do too much,” Thomson said of Bader’s struggles. Bader bats seventh today.

Brandon Marsh, meanwhile, has forced his way into regular action, especially against right-handed pitching. Over his past 22 games, Marsh is slashing .367/.391/.683 with a 1.074 OPS. Of his 22 hits during that stretch, 11 have gone for extra bases. The lefty is hitting sixth in the series finale.

As for Max Kepler, the skipper has seen encouraging signs.

“I think Kepler’s swinging the bat pretty good,” Thomson said.

Kepler’s overall OPS sits at .663, but the underlying metrics suggest better results could be ahead. His squared-up percentage ranks in the 80th percentile, while his average exit velocity, strikeout rate and walk rate all remain above league average. He gets the start in right field today, batting eighth.

J.T. stays behind the dish

Who’s hotter than the Phillies’ backstop right now?

J.T. Realmuto slugged a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning Tuesday, the difference in a 6-4 win over the Mariners.

Over his last 30 games, Realmuto is batting .342 (40-for-117) with four homers and 15 RBIs.

Some might have expected Realmuto to sit today, but with an off day Thursday, the catcher remains in the lineup, hitting cleanup.

“I’m trying to line it up for New York, too. So we’ll probably give him Sunday off,” Thomson said.

Today’s pitching matchup

The Phillies hand the ball to Jesús Luzardo (11-6, 4.21 ERA). The 27-year-old lefty has had an up-and-down season but has entered in good form this month. Only Donovan Solano has had notable success against him, batting .538 with a 1.109 OPS in 13 career at-bats.

Seattle counters with veteran right-hander Luis Castillo (8-6, 3.48 ERA). In his last outing, he was roughed up by the Mets, giving up nine hits and six earned runs in four innings. Kyle Schwarber has Castillo’s number — in 20 career at-bats, he has four home runs and a 1.417 OPS.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.

It was a Rangers performance so lamentable it had fans leaving Ibrox before half-time - and questions being asked of Russell Martin's future at full-time.

Martin has only been in charge since June and the season only began in earnest a month ago, but the new manager is already under serious pressure.

The 3-1 humbling by Club Brugge does not just leave Rangers' Champions League hopes hanging by a thread, it has also cast doubt on Martin's future as manager within three months of him taking over.

We asked Rangers fans for their verdict on their team and their manager, and they were unsurprisingly vigorous in their responses...

'Please resign, Mr Martin'

Russell Bremner: Russell Martin needs to go before he is sacked.

Michael Kearney: Too early into his tenure as Rangers manager for him to be sacked? Normally I would agree, however what we are seeing on a game-by-game basis is quite possibly the worst Rangers team we have ever seen. Nobody fears us. Nobody fears coming to Ibrox. It's still early in the season - if we act now it's possible we can recover... but not with Martin as manager. He has to go, and go now.

Kevin Ord: Not sure Martin has anything to be proud of, another mountain to climb away from home again. Far too many players just not good enough.

Michael Beck: Team selection all wrong. We needed energy in the middle of the park, which [Lyall] Cameron would have given. [Mikey] Moore should have started. Martin can talk up his philosophy until the cows come home but it just won't work. The players don't buy into it, therefore it's dead in the water. Teams know how to play against Rangers. A high press forces the defence deeper and the mistake will come.

Lorna Stenhouse: Russell Martin reverts back to "the way the club has been for many years" in nearly every interview as one of the reasons the club is not moving forward and this needs fixed. I'd like him to clarify what is he trying to fix? What has been going on?

William MacFarlane: The manager has to go now. He is poor and not a Rangers manager - let him go. The team is poor but he has to go.

Callum Carmichael: I never thought Martin was the right manager for us from day one but having appointed him I was prepared to back him until things went wrong. Things have now gone wrong in a dramatic way and the fact that he won't change his style of play means that it's the end for him. Please resign, Mr Martin.

Kevin Sandison: Not even close to being good enough. A lack of tactical knowledge from the manager means he is already on very thin ice. Failure to beat St Mirren, get a better result in Belgium and then the Old Firm could see him out of work on 1 September.

Peter Cooper White: All my years watching Rangers, it's one of the craziest 20 minutes I've witnessed. Then after the game Martin said he was proud of his team. He is so deluded it beggars believe. The board must give him an ultimatum; improve quickly or you're off.

John Walker: Said it from the beginning - worst appointment Rangers could have made. Russell Martin is a joke - he should have stayed down in the lower Leagues in England, possibly the National League, and he might have won the odd game.

Andy Cumming: The fans didn't want Martin and he's turning this Rangers side into a carbon copy of his Southampton side. Look how open and terrible they were. How could he have been the outstanding candidate for the job? And whoever employed him should get moved on too.

Charlie Low: An utter shambles. I have seen U-15 teams better organised defensively. Our defenders are too slow and erratic. We have players who have no passion for our club and our manager is as bad as Paul le Guen - and he was atrocious. What were our new owners thinking when they picked him? His track record is poor.

Owen Lawson: The appointment of Martin was very strange given his dreadful performance at his previous club. No other form of employment rewards failure like football does. Giving the manager time won't work when his ideology is not suited to Rangers, who must win every game. P45 must be issued soon if this season is to bring any form of success.

Colin Gardiner: Worst Rangers team I have seen and the manager must go if we get beaten in our next two games.

Dave King: Absolute shambles, he's got to go. He doesn't seem to know what his best 11 is and what his tactics are. Embarrassing.

Paul: One shot on target all night. Russell Martin says the tie isn't over and will relish being underdogs as will his players. He honestly thinks with that defence, they will go to Belgium and not concede and score more than two? Honestly, he's just a total embarrassment to himself, his family and his club.

Jim Foster: Martin hasn't got a plan B. After they lose the next three games, he is gone!

• Martin 'proud' amid Rangers Champions League woe
• 'Life comes quickly at Martin as Rangers humbled'
• Rangers' Champions League hopes in tatters after Club Brugge defeat

Minority report: The case for Martin

Tim M: Every Rangers fan should listen to and absorb Russell Martin's post-match news conference. He is exactly right: whenever the club has been successful over the last 10 years has been pure vibes and occasional individual brilliance. You cannot simply will a club into being successful these days based on history. If you want to build a dynasty you need to build it.

Sadly fans just want instant success and have a sense of entitlement largely because the domestic league is so weak. Rangers are only at the start of building something, and they need to do it properly if they want to break the cycle that has seen Celtic win 12 of last 13 league titles. Give Martin the time to deliver on the pitch.

David Murdoch: Going to go against the grain here and say this tie isn't over. We outplayed them in the second half after our horror start and we were unlucky not to get another goal. It is a big ask, but I back this team to go over there and get a result.

• Visit our Rangers page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views
• Get Rangers news notifications in the BBC Sport app

Crowd boos Padres security for tackling young fan who ran onto field during game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

When an adult runs onto the field at an MLB game, it’s common for the crowd to cheer after security has wrangled down the trespasser.

When it’s a young fan, it’s a different story.

That was the situation at Petco Park Tuesday night during the San Diego Padres’ 5-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.

During the eighth inning, a young fan ran onto the outfield grass, prompting a chase from the ballpark’s security team. Video shows one security guard wrapping up the fan and holding him upright before another guard raced in and tackled the young fan to the ground from behind.

The response drew boos from the San Diego crowd. Padres reliever Jason Adam also grimaced as he watched the situation unfold from the pitcher’s mound.

The security team wasn’t done for the night after escorting the young fan off the field.

Another spectator made it onto the diamond in the ninth, prompting another security response.

How Red Sox manager Alex Cora explained costly decision vs. Orioles originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox concocted a plan before their series against the Orioles and stuck to it, manager Alex Cora said after a frustrating 4-3 loss at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

Red Sox pinch-runner Nick Eaton stood at third base as Boston trailed Baltimore 4-3 with one out in the 11th inning. With the speedy Eaton representing the game-tying run, Roman Anthony hit a 265-foot fly ball to center field. Fans watching at home surely figured it would at least turn into a play at the plate, and perhaps another clutch RBI for the rookie slugger. However, just after Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser hauled in the pop fly and unleashed an off-line throw which ended up between third base and home plate, Eaton returned to the bag after pump-faking a sprint to the dish.

Alex Bregman then stepped into the batter’s box and popped up to shortstop for the game’s final out.

Cora explained the questionable decision after Boston’s third consecutive loss.

“That’s an impact arm in centerfield,” Cora said of Cowser, the runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year last season. “We prepare before the series and we decide who we’re going to challenge and not. So, we didn’t challenge him.”

When pressed on whether it was Eaton’s decision or that of third base coach Kyle Hudson, Cora sternly responded: “We prepare before the series, and that’s an impact arm, and we decided not to challenge him.”

Hudson told MassLive’s Christopher Smith it was his decision to hold Eaton. Hudson said Cowser’s arm and where he caught the ball led him to believe he had a “good chance” to make the throw to the plate.

The Red Sox left 13 runners on base and went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position during the contest.

The Red Sox, who have lost three straight after dropping two to the Orioles, trail the Yankees by one game for the top wild-card spot. Boston travels to New York for a pivotal four-game series at Yankee Stadium starting Thursday night.

The Yankees smashed nine home runs in their 13-3 rout of the Rays in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.

With the win, New York extended its winning streak to four games, and after the Mariners and Red Sox lost earlier in the evening, the Yankees (68-57) are now alone atop the AL wild card race. 

Here are the takeaways...

-After nearly a two-hour weather delay, the Yankees sluggers brought the thunder when the game started. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton went back-to-back-to-back with one out in the first inning to give New York an early 3-0 lead off of starter Shane Baz.

The power display didn't end there. Jose Caballero launched a two-run shot in the second inning, his first with the Yankees. The blast came minutes after the Rays showed a tribute video to Caballero in between innings.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. joined in the homer party, launching a solo shot to right field in the third inning.

Entering Tuesday's game, the most home runs Baz allowed in a game was three. The Yankees put up five off the young starter, but it didn't end when Baz was pulled. Against the bullpen, the Yankees would smash two more homers in the fourth inning. Stanton's three-run blast and Ben Rice following with a solo shot put New York up 10-2 and put the home run counter to seven.

Bellinger launched his second blast of the game with his two-run shot in the sixth. The Yankees' power display finished with Caballero going yard a second time in the ninth inning to set the final home run count to nine. The Yankees have hit eight-plus homers four times in their history, and two have come this season. Their nine homers tie a franchise record, which was set this season on March 29 against the Brewers.

-Carlos Rodon had a bit of trouble with control thanks to the heat in Tampa. Rodon, a notorious sweater, could not get a good grip on the ball. He was constantly wiping his pitching arm on his pants leg. The rain in the area made it much more humid than it was earlier in the day, but Rodon worked through it, getting out of a two-baserunner jam in the first. 

Rodon's control issues continued in the second inning as the Rays batters barrelled up his pitches in the zone for hits. Three straight singles pushed across Tampa's first run. Chandler Simpson's fielder's choice got the Rays another run before Rodon picked up the third out, still leading 5-2.

But that's all the Rays would get on Rodon, who gutted through six innings (102 pitches/64 strikes), allowing two runs on five hits, two walks and striking out five. 

-The combination of Mark Leiter Jr., Yerry De Los Santos and Tim Hill picked up the final nine outs, but after Leiter pitched a clean seventh, De Los Santos struggled in the eighth. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk. Hill allowed one hit in an otherwise clean ninth inning to finish the game.

-Stanton, starting his first game since the homestand last week after feeling general soreness from playing right field on multiple days, showed how important he is to the Yankees lineup. Starting in right field, Stanton finished 2-for-3 and a walk with two blasts while driving in four runs. It's his first multi-homer game since June 2023.

Manager Aaron Boone would pull Stanton after his fourth at-bat to give his slugger the rest of the game off his feet. Jasson Dominguez would replace him and go 0-for-1 in his lone AB.

Bellinger had his second multi-homer game of the season. The first was his three-homer game against the Cubs back in July. He finished 4-for-5.

Game MVP: The Yankees offense

Hard to give it to one batter.

Highlights

Aaron Judge’s 40th homer of the season! pic.twitter.com/4OUkadorC8

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

Cody Bellinger goes back-to-back with Aaron Judge! pic.twitter.com/pEOfywhhAy

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

GIANCARLO STANTON!

Back-to-back-to-back homers in the first for the Yankees! pic.twitter.com/qhNh9ariX3

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

José Caballero’s first Yankees homer! pic.twitter.com/M7dLAkNt0i

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the Yankees fifth homer of the night! pic.twitter.com/NzO7du4kun

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

Giancarlo Stanton with his 2nd of the night! pic.twitter.com/xl7OV57tT0

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

BEN RICE!

The Yankees’ SEVENTH home run of the night! pic.twitter.com/QO4pheZR9h

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

Cody Bellinger’s second of the night and the Yankees’ 8th of the game! pic.twitter.com/fcb29lsudT

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

José Caballero with his second homer of the night and the Yankees’ 9th of the game, tying a franchise record! pic.twitter.com/7ISGbLAejA

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 20, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Rays finish their brief two-game set on Wednesday night. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m.

Cam Schlittler (1-2, 3.94 ERA) will take on Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.60 ERA).

Mookie Betts was the first Dodgers position player out on the field Tuesday, walking to a spot near the third-base foul line and kneeling on a mat before a coach, who began hitting soft ground balls to his right and left.

It’s a drill Betts does regularly to improve his defense. Betts’ defense, however, really isn’t a problem for the Dodgers.

A six-time Gold Glove winner in right field, Betts moved to shortstop full-time this season, turning his old position over to Teoscar Hernández. And his defense has been a problem. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he isn’t planning any changes to his lineup for the time being.

“Are we playing our best defensive lineup? No,” Roberts said. “But I would say there's very few teams in the big leagues playing their best defensive lineup every night. Even in a postseason race, you’ve still got to score.”

The Dodgers are definitely in a postseason race and Hernández absolutely helps them score, ranking second on the team in home runs (20) and RBIs (75) after going two for five with a run and an RBI in Tuesday’s 11-4 rout of the Colorado Rockies. He also made two nice running catches.

But then the Dodgers didn’t need much defense Tuesday, pounding out 18 hits with every player in the lineup reaching base as least once. Newcomer Alex Call led the way with a career-high four hits, including a home run and a double, scoring three runs and driving in two others while falling a triple shy of the cycle.

“I wasn't thinking about it. I was really just trying to get on base another time,” Call, who struck out in his final at-bat in the eighth, said of the cycle. “But everybody else in the dugout was like, ‘if you hit this ball, you better keep running.’ It would have been fun to find a gap and see what would happen.”

Read more:Dave Roberts says Dodgers haven't discussed moving Mookie Betts to right field

The homer, a 453-foot blast in the second, was the longest by a Dodger this season. Yet Call still managed to get the ball back as a souvenir.

“I actually had some some friends in the stands that flew out from Wisconsin, and they tracked down the ball for me,” he said.

The homer helped Call break out of terrible slump. He entered the game hitting .174 since coming over from Washington at the trade deadline, which wasn’t the kind of introduction he had hoped to have with this new team.

“I wanted to make a good impression. But I think you make a good impression by just showing how you work and showing how you play the game and just trusting in yourself to do what you do,” he said. “I would tell myself, ‘I'm just calibrating.’

“There's a lot of moving parts, a lot of new things going on. New coaches, new teammates, new situation, new city. You can go on. So it's a lot.”

Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Betts and Miguel Rojas joined Hernández and Call with multiple hits for the Dodgers, who scored eight of their 11 runs with two outs.

“Really, really pleased with tonight,” Roberts said. “You saw a different ballclub tonight.”

And a different Call as well.

Read more:Mookie Betts meets with Dave Roberts, Andrew Friedman after Dodgers' loss to Rockies

“It's certainly a big adjustment, especially when you walk into a clubhouse like ours,” Roberts said. “Coming from the Nationals, a bunch of young players, and you see our ballclub in contention and trying to kind of figure out where you where you stand, right? He's likable the way he plays, practices, and it was good to see him have some success.”

The Dodgers led 7-0 before the Rockies had their second baserunner, with one of those runs coming on Shohei Ohtani’s 44^th home run of the season. That made it easy for starter Emmet Sheehan (4-2), who matched a career high by going six innings, striking out a season-best seven batters to earn the win.

“We just got on the board early,” Freeman said. “When you score runs, you want to keep it going as an offense.

“[But] I don't think anybody's going to think about how good we did today, tomorrow. Every day is a new day. We'll go out there and give it all again.”

Yates makes rehab appearance

Reliever Kirby Yates walked one and struck out one in a one-inning rehab appearance for Oklahoma City on Tuesday. He threw 21 pitches, 13 for strikes. Yates went on the injured list Aug. 1 with lower back pain.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mark Vientos hasn't lived up to his potential as a key lineup fixture this season, but his daily approach to game preparation is helping him produce on the field when the Mets' roulette wheel of platoon players lands on his number.

Just hours after manager Carlos Mendoza expressed a need for contributions from Vientos as the NL playoff race intensifies, the slugging infielder answered the call, delivering a welcome two-run home run in the Mets' 8-1 beatdown of the Nationals on Tuesday night at Nationals Park. He finished the night 1-for-4 with a walk.

Vientos, who produced a four-RBI effort in Sunday's win over the Mariners, demolished a hanging two-strike curveball from Nationals starter Jake Irvin in what became a five-run third inning. The ball traveled 419 feet into the left field seats with a 35-degree launch angle, and it was his second straight game with a homer. 

"I was just trying to capitalize on the situation," Vientos said after the win. "We were hitting well on [Irvin] that inning and I was staying ready for a pitch in the zone. Luckily, I was ready and put a good swing on it... [I stay ready] with practice, honestly. Showing up every day like I’m starting and going about my business like I’m playing that day. Working hard, talking to my coaches, staying ready..."

While his role remains fluid -- he batted sixth as the designated hitter on Tuesday and played third base as the eighth hitter on Sunday -- Vientos' mentality as a regular starter is paying off. He's constantly in communication with Mendoza, who fully endorses the be-ready attitude that can only do good.

"I know it's there. We saw it last year," Mendoza said of Vientos' mettle. "He's a really good player, and it's been hard for him. I said it before the game, we're going to need him. He stepped up again today. He'll continue to get opportunities... For him to continue to put together some really good at-bats, I thought he hit the ball hard a few times today."

Call it a regular season to forget for Vientos, who's slashed an underwhelming .232/.278/.381 with only 23 extra-base hits across 85 games. But the ending to his 2025 story isn't required to match the beginning, and the team-first mindset that he's embraced only makes the latest personal success sweeter.

"I’m just focusing on winning," Vientos said. "I just want to win and whenever I get my opportunity, to help in whatever way. As long as we’re winning, I’m happy."

MARK VIENTOS DRIVES A TWO-RUN HOMER!

He's homered in back-to-back games and the Mets have put up a 5 spot in the 3rd! pic.twitter.com/pVfqKVigns

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 19, 2025

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza knew what he wanted to see from David Peterson before the night even arrived. He summoned his most reliable starter to attack Nationals hitters in the zone, all while keeping the ball on the ground and limiting the walks that plagued him in his shortest outing of the season last week.

A demanding task, but by no means a challenge that Peterson couldn't conquer. And much to the Mets' delight, the dependable southpaw excelled, completing eight dominant innings of one-run ball with a season-high 10 strikeouts in an 8-1 win on Tuesday night at Nationals Park.

"Hell of a job. That's where it starts -- when he's throwing strikes, using all of his pitches, basically competing in the strike zone," Mendoza said after the game. "The changeup was really good. The curveball, the slider, the sinker. He got groundballs. 

"For him to go eight [innings] was really good. Solid, in complete control -- which was good to see, especially after his last outing. For him to bounce back that way... It was nice, not going to lie."

If he broke a sweat during the first four innings, Peterson didn't show it. He faced the minimum through those frames on a career-best 41 pitches, and after escaping a jam in the sixth inning, he registered his ninth outing of six-plus innings over the last 60 games (since June 8). No other Mets starter has even achieved this feat once.

Peterson was given a rather comfortable lead, as a five-run rally in the third provided him ample cushion to pitch with conviction. After retiring the Nationals in order in the seventh, the Mets trusted him for an eighth inning of work. And while his shutout bid was ultimately lost after allowing a leadoff triple, he recovered to walk off the mound with double-digit punchouts.

"Being aggressive, getting ahead early in the count, and staying on the attack," Peterson said. "I honestly felt like we had a really good feel for [the changeup] and [Luis Torrens] was all over it with the calls on it. Being able to get some swing and misses, some soft contact, being ahead in the count helps with that."

It wasn't Peterson's best performance of the season -- first place still belongs to his home start against the Nationals on June 11, when he delivered his first-career shutout. But Tuesday's rebound effort in the nation's capital checked off all the boxes. If only he could face that lineup 30-plus times a year.

"[My last start] felt pretty uncharacteristic to me. So, it was just kind of flushing it and getting on to the next one," Peterson said. "I kind of knew exactly what I didn't do well and needed to work on... I go out there and try to give the team a chance to win. Try to be efficient. Being on the attack, getting ahead in the counts helps that."

Peterson now owns a 3.18 ERA this season, and remains the only Mets starter to throw a pitch in the eighth inning this season.