David Peterson saves the Mets’ bullpen from the doubleheader with a gem

MILWAUKEE — David Peterson largely brushed aside the personal significance and pointed to the bigger picture of the game itself.

“We needed it,” the left-hander said of the 5-0 win over the Brewers at American Family Field.

His manager pointed to his starting pitcher.

“We needed that,” Carlos Mendoza said of Peterson’s tremendous, scoreless seven innings.

In the biggest start of his career, Peterson — who was informed he would be getting the ball just a day earlier — came up appropriately large.

The fifth-year left-hander stopped the Mets’ three-game slide, halting the turmoil from the accompanying rough turnaround in the rotation and giving hope to a club that, well, needed it.

The Mets are in a far better position because Peterson saved a game while also saving much of the bullpen.

Since the Diamondbacks had already won on Sunday, the Mets were guaranteed a trip to Atlanta on Monday, regardless of the outcome of their game. However, the Peterson-led win means they only need to win one game of a season-ending doubleheader to advance to the postseason.

With 18 innings pitched, Mendoza would get everything he could out of Peterson.

Twenty-one outs later, both were happy.

Peterson shut out the Brewers while allowing just one hit and striking out three.

He scored eight goals against Milwaukee, where William Contreras and Rhys Hoskins sat for Game 162.

“He got strike one. He stayed on offense,” Mendoza said of Peterson, who finished his regular season with a sparkling 2.90 ERA in 21 starts. “He was aggressive. I liked the pace. Everything – he had complete control of this game.”

Jackson Chourio hit a swinging bunt with one out in the first inning, and the Brewers didn’t record another hit until Peterson was out of the game.

In that first inning, Chourio reached scoring position but was unable to advance further than third base, with Peterson escaping a jam by inducing a fielder’s choice from Jake Bauers and striking out Eric Haase.

Against Peterson, who struck out the last seven batters he faced and 19 of the last 21, the Brewers were unable to reach second base.

The 29-year-old was sent off after an efficient seven frames on 95 pitches, contributing to only Phil Maton and Edwin Diaz being used from a Mets bullpen that must be ready for a marathon on Monday – and lately That’s why rotational fighting was often used.

During the three-game break that threatened to derail the Mets’ playoff hopes, Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana combined to allow 12 runs (11 earned) in 12 innings.

Severino was knocked down in Atlanta, Manaea and Quintana in Milwaukee, and the Mets’ greatest second-half strength had stopped bowing.

But Peterson, who has been outstanding since making his debut in late May following offseason hip surgery, delivered one of his best games in his biggest game.

“I try to last as long as I can, no matter what,” Peterson said. “I just try to give the team everything I had.”