The Mets will look to continue to flex their muscles on Wednesday night when they vie to win their three-game series against the host Washington Nationals. Every game is key for the Mets, who have only a one-game lead as they hold the final wild-card spot in the National League.

But finishing this marathon has proven challenging: Holmes is averaging less than five innings in his last nine starts, the Mets losing five of them, as he’s posted a 5.02 ERA and his strikeout-walk ratio has shriveled to 1.66.

Mets' Carlos Mendoza and Nationals' Miguel Cairo share in a special moment before Tuesday night's divisional matchup

It’s no secret that Peterson, of all the Mets’ starters, has been the guy relied upon to pitch deep. This was the 16th time in 24 starts that Peterson has finished at least six innings; the rest of the rotation has done it 18 times in 101 tries. It’s the eighth time a Mets starter has finished seven or more innings; Peterson owns six of those.

The New York Mets look to continue their modest upswing on Tuesday when they open a three-game series against the host Washington Nationals.