Peterson pitches 1st complete game as Mets get 2 homers from Nimmo and 1 from Soto to beat Nats 5-0

NEW YORK (AP) - David Peterson pitched a six-hitter for the first nine-inning complete game of his professional career, and the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight win.

Brandon Nimmo homered twice and Juan Soto went deep against his former team for the second consecutive night. Pete Alonso put the Mets ahead in the first inning with his major league-high 63rd RBI, his 20th in the past 10 games.

NL East-leading New York moved a season-best 20 games over .500 at 44-24.

Peterson (5-2) won his third decision in a row, striking out six and walking none in a game that took just 2 hours, 16 minutes. He threw 106 pitches and lowered his ERA to 2.49.

Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor threw out Luis García Jr. trying to score from second in the eighth on Jacob Young's sharp single.

Peterson's only prior professional complete game was a four-hitter in a rain-shorted, five-inning loss to Atlanta on April 28, 2023. His previous nine-inning complete game came in college, a four-hit shutout for Oregon against Arizona State on April 28, 2017.

New York's previous complete game was a four-hit shutout by Luis Severino against Miami last Aug. 17. Peterson pitched the seventh shutout and 14th complete game in the major leagues this season.

Washington has lost four straight and seven of nine.

Soto, who played for the Nationals from 2018 until he was traded to San Diego in August 2022, followed Francisco Lindor’s double off Jake Irvin (5-3) with his 13th homer, a two-run drive on a hanging curve in the third.

Nimmo homered in the fifth off Irvin and in the seventh against Jackson Rutledge for his eighth career multihomer game.

Irvin allowed four runs, five hits and three walks in five innings. He has a 10.29 ERA in the first inning this year and has given up 13 homers in 13 starts.

Soto’s drive over the right-field fence was caught on the fly by a young fan wearing a baseball glove.

Alonso tied for the most RBIs by a Mets player in a 10-game span during a single season. He matched Mike Piazza (1999 and 2000), Yoenis Céspedes (2016) and Lindor (2022).

Mets RHP Kodai Senga (6-3, 1.59), the NL ERA leader, and Nationals RHP Michael Soroka (3-3, 4.86) start Thursday afternoon’s series finale.