Freddy Peralta felt Mets fans' energy was ‘different’ in Opening Day win over Pirates

Ask and you shall receive. Freddy Peralta requested run support from the Mets ’ offense pregame, and that’s exactly what they delivered just a half inning into Thursday’s Opening Day matchup. After the Pirates jumped on the righty for two runs on a Brandon Lowe homer two batters in, New York responded with a five-run bottom of the first  that saw them chase reigning Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes from the ballgame.

The Mets batter around, and the big knock came on a Brett Baty bases loaded bases-clearing triple. “It was amazing,” Peralta said. “I asked them earlier today, I said I need some runs from you guys and I was sitting there like damn, this is crazy.

” Things got even crazier as the day went on, as New York would strike six more times over the next seven innings to help them hang on for the thrilling season-opening victory . Peralta followed Lowe's homer retiring the next eight batters he faced, but that stretch was broken when the power-hitting lefty took him deep again, this time 401 feet to right-center. The righty would hit another speed bump after back-to-back knocks in the fifth, but ended things with his seventh strikeout, getting Bryan Reynolds swinging on a slider in the dirt representing the tying run at the plate.

“Other than the two mistakes, I thought he was good,” Carlos Mendoza said. “They put together some really good at-bats -- fought off pitches, layed off tough ones, ran his pitch count up, but he was able to get through five. ” Just one start into Peralta’s time at Citi Field, things already feel different.