The first four pitches Edwin Diaz threw in the ninth inning were fastballs outside the strike zone.
But just when it looked like the Mets' closer was about to slip back into the trouble he'd had in consecutive games on the recent road trip, Diaz came back to get the final three outs in an 8-3 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday.
He then finished the game by throwing three consecutive fastballs over 100 mph.
September 4, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
“The power's there,” Diaz said of the increase in velocity he used to strike out Romy Gonzalez to end the game and clinch the Mets' seventh straight win.
The Mets are chasing the Braves for the final National League wild-card spot and will almost certainly continue to rely heavily on Diaz, who pitched well for the most part since mid-June before missing back-to-back saves against San Diego on Aug. 25 and Arizona three days later.
Since then, Diaz has allowed one runner (a walk to Wednesday's leadoff hitter Triston Casas) in four innings and struck out nine batters, including two on Wednesday.
That's the same number of strikeouts Diaz has had in four games this season.
While his strikeout rate is still nowhere near what it was during his otherworldly 2022 season, Diaz's ability to strike out hitters is what separates him from other closers, and the Mets believe that will translate into a postseason berth.
“I think he's focused,” Carlos Mendoza said, “It's a 'whatever it takes' mentality. He got hit with a slider a couple times on the road and it hurt him, but after that he just kept attacking.”
He continued that on Wednesday.
“Watching him hit 101 [mph]”He's proactive,” Mendoza said. “That's a good sign.”
They need to perform better in the final week of the season if they want to make the playoffs.
Diaz expects the workload to pile up by the end of September.
“It's really tough,” Diaz said. “With us being so close to the playoffs, every game counts as a closer, so I have to do my job.”
