Edwin Diaz Delivers in Finale Against Aaron Judge
Edwin Diaz found himself in a thrilling moment on Saturday evening, facing off against one of the game’s finest hitters with two outs in the ninth inning.
“It’s really exciting to face the best batter at the end of the game,” Diaz remarked after securing a narrow 3-2 victory in the Bronx.
With the count in his favor, Diaz unleashed a fastball clocked at 98.6 mph. Just moments before, he had thrown a blistering 100 mph pitch, his fastest of the day, which Judge had managed to foul off.
This save marked Diaz’s 10th of the season, and it came after recovering from a previous break that had affected his performance. He demonstrated impeccable control, not allowing a hit in three of his last four appearances.
“I feel really good right now,” Diaz said. “I just focus on chasing them, and that’s what I did today.” He seemed energized, especially after confronting Judge.
Following a sacrifice fly by Francisco Lindor in the top of the ninth, Diaz entered the game and struck out Austin Wells with a full-count slider. After that, Ben Rice reached base, leading to Diaz facing Judge.
“I knew I had to keep him in check,” Diaz commented. “He has a solid approach. My goal was to deliver my best pitch.” It’s interesting how, despite the pressure, he kept his composure.
Earlier in the season, Diaz’s velocity had dipped, but he mentioned that some mechanical tweaks made in late April have noticeably improved his performance. “I didn’t start off as well as I wanted,” he admitted. “But now I feel like I’m throwing my best since 2022, and that makes me really happy.”
Díaz’s effort was just a piece of the overall strong showing from the Mets’ bullpen. Huascar Brazobán had a solid outing with a scoreless 1²/₃ innings, and Reed Garrett also performed well, despite allowing three walks and hits. He managed to induce a double play from Paul Goldschmidt to escape a jam, which was crucial.
Yet, the spotlight was undeniably on Diaz as he faced Judge, who has been exceptional this season, batting .402 with a 1.241 OPS. “There was just electricity when Díaz was on the mound today,” Pete Alonso remarked. “I had a chat with him recently, and it’s clear he’s showing that intensity on the field.”
