A smiling Edwin Diaz summed it up well.
“It's been ups and downs,” Diaz said hours after his final pitch at Citi Field, which was packed with players and fans who still didn't want to go home. Please do my job. ”
He did his job, throwing more pitches than ever before in such a short period of time, ensuring that the Mets' dramatic season reached its climax.
Diaz wasn't sharp — not even close — but the closer capped off the Mets' 4-1 National League championship-clinching victory over the Phillies on Wednesday.
David Peterson followed Jose Quintana and Reid Garrett with great pitching, throwing only 23 pitches in 2¹/₃ innings.
Carlos Mendoza, who was supposed to be the No. 6 hitter for the Phillies with a three-run lead, opted to pull out the left-hander and insert one of the most electric and combustible arms in the game.
“It was always going to be Diaz. He's the best in the league,” Mendoza said of the pitcher who continues to run away despite his fears. “And once Petey got through the eighth inning, Diaz was next. There was no question.”
Maybe the doubts arose after he hit the first two batters. Diaz threw a total of 10 pitches to JT Realmuto and Bryson Stott, who both walked to tie the game.
He didn't understand why he didn't know where he was. Pitching coaches Jeremy Hefner and Francisco Alvarez visited Diaz with a very simple message: “Aim for the middle.”
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“They said, 'Hey, your fastball looks great today.' There's a lot of life in your fastball, just throw it up the middle,” Diaz recalled. “We're winning by three points, so I don't think he'll be able to hit a fastball with force.''
“So, that's what I did. I threw a fastball right up the middle and got an out.”
Four of Diaz's five pitches to Cody Clemens were fastballs. All four pitches to Brandon Marsh, who jumped out, were fastballs. Three sliders took two strikes from the imposing Kyle Schwarber, but Diaz fought back, hitting 161 mph and getting past Schwarber for three strikes.
“Even after two walks,” Mendoza said. Here we are celebrating. ”
They also had a celebration in Atlanta, where Diaz took a three-run lead in the eighth inning, watched as Francisco Lindor put the Mets ahead in the ninth, and before taping for the final game, Diaz told Mendoza, “I don't understand this.'' “It was,” he said. 3 outs.
There was also a celebration in Milwaukee, where Diaz walked two of the first three batters he faced, but survived, eventually allowing Peterson to make the save.
The drama remains, as does the end result.
“I just came here today and did my job,” Diaz said.
