Mets’ David Peterson implodes in ugly first postseason blemish

LOS ANGELES — Kodai Senga exited a disappointing start in which there was little mystery as to what went wrong: He could not find the plate. 

David Peterson later entered and pitched in a similarly disappointing outing that bore few other similarities.

Peterson found the plate but also found Dodgers barrels, hit hard for the first time this postseason. 

The Mets’ Plan A failed before the Mets’ Plan B did not encourage in a 9-0, NLCS Game 1 loss at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night. 

Peterson, one of the Mets’ most valuable players through October in beginning the postseason with 6 ¹/₃ scoreless innings in relief, looked far more mortal against the Dodgers than he did against the Brewers and Phillies. 

Arguably the Mets’ best bullpen arm allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk over 2 ¹/₃ innings against perhaps baseball’s best lineup. 

All of the damage against Peterson came in a fourth inning in which the Dodgers turned four singles, a sacrifice and a Starling Marte error into a three-run frame that blew the game open. 

In the inning, Kiké Hernandez lined a single into right and moved to second on a bunt from Gavin Lux.

Tommy Edman’s single made it 4-0 before Peterson left a curveball over the heart of the plate to Shohei Ohtani, which is not advisable.

Ohtani blasted it 116.5 mph off the bat and off the wall in right-center.

Marte dropped the carom off the wall, which mattered when Edman slid in safely just ahead of the relay throw. 

After Mookie Betts grounded out — even the out was smacked off his bat at 101.6 mph — Freddie Freeman sent a single into left field, and Brandon Nimmo’s throw home was too late to catch a sliding Ohtani. 

Peterson settled from there but pitched only through the fifth inning in a 40-pitch outing that will mean he is not available for Monday’s game and also likely not stretched out enough for a lengthy start in Game 5, if the Mets decide to pivot away from Senga. 

After a late start to his season following offseason hip surgery, Peterson was reliable and excellent for the Mets during the regular season in which he pitched to a 2.90 ERA in 21 starts.

As a valued lefty arm for a team without many lefties in the bullpen and with bullpen experience, he was shuttled out of the rotation in October for Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Jose Quintana and a stretching-out Senga. 

In the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s defeat, there was question whether Peterson would remain relegated or would leapfrog Senga into the starting group.