Mets’ Peterson wins MLB debut

BOSTON — J.D. Davis banged a two-run homer off the Pesky Pole, and left-hander David Peterson pitched 5 2⁄3 innings to win his major league debut and lead the New York Mets to an 8-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

The Mets swept the two-game series and sent the Red Sox to their fourth consecutive loss. The teams now move to New York for another two games at Citi Field.

Peterson allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three on the day he was called up from the team’s alternate training site. He allowed a hard-hit ball off the Green Monster to leadoff batter Jose Peraza, but Peraza was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.

The 2017 first-round draft pick then struck out J.D. Martinez — getting the ball as a souvenir — and retired Rafael Devers on a groundout to end the inning.

The Mets took a 3-0 lead in the second when Matt Hall, making his 2020 debut, gave up an RBI double to Robinson Cano and a two-run single to Amed Rosario. In all, Hall allowed three runs on three hits and two walks, striking out three in 22⁄3 innings.

Davis hit a two-run shot in the fifth and the Mets added three more in the eighth when Brandon Nimmo doubled in one run and Jeff McNeil doubled in two more to make it 8-2.

Peterson became the first Mets starting pitcher to win his major league debut since Steven Matz in 2015.

OPENING DOORS

A day after lamenting his inability to enter the Green Monster during his first visit to Fenway Park, Pete Alonso was able to get inside.

Alonso said after Monday night’s game that he wasn’t allowed into the cramped area where the scoreboard keeper sits during games because of COVID-19 restrictions. It’s always a highlight for visiting players, especially rookies and those in the NL who rarely get to visit Boston.

“I was really upset that this year we’re not able to do it,” he said after the Mets won the series opener. “Hopefully, I can finagle my way in there tomorrow.”

On Tuesday, Alonso posted a picture on Instagram of his signature on a splotch of green paint with the caption: “Forever on the green monster!!! One of many names and a part of baseball history.”

Alonso’s homer on Monday was clocked at 116.3 mph — the third hardesthit homer for the Mets since the start of the 2019 season. (He also hit the other two.) The ball hit hard off the wall in the seating area, missing the cutouts taking the place of fans in the Monster Seats this season.

Alonso didn’t homer on Tuesday, but he did endanger some imaginary fans when he threw his bat into the third-base box seats in the first inning.