Mets’ Struggles Continue, But Chiga Shines in Relief Role
This season has been a bit chaotic for the Mets, and on Friday, they found themselves relying on Kodai Chiga in the ninth inning, just trying to clinch a victory against the Nationals. As Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” echoed through Citi Field, Chiga took the mound.
The right-handed pitcher had already made three brief appearances on the road, securing a scoreless inning in a 4-1 victory against Washington.
This marked Chiga’s second save in a row, with four consecutive games under his belt without any runs allowed.
With Devin Williams sidelined due to a shoulder strain, interim manager Andy Green mentioned that he anticipates Chiga will see a lot more action in the bullpen moving forward.
“He’s been effective at attacking hitters,” Green commented, adding that Chiga has filled up the strike zone effectively and will continue to be used in high-pressure situations.
As for Chiga, he’s working hard to adapt to his new role after a promising rookie year, which had seen its ups and downs as a starter.
“When you know you’re coming in during the later stages of the game, it’s easier to be prepared, both physically and mentally,” Chiga explained, speaking through an interpreter.
However, he noted one challenge: as a reliever, he hasn’t yet had the chance to throw consecutive pitches.
“I feel like we’re ready,” Chiga stated, although it became clear that not everyone in the stadium was ready when it went dark, and that choice of music played as he entered with a three-run cushion caught some off guard.
He later remarked about the song choice, mentioning, “It just came on, and I thought, ‘Yeah, it’s a great song.'” Green seemed to share this sentiment and expressed admiration for Chiga’s mindset.
“I don’t see any fear in him,” Green observed. “He’s attacking the moment, which is exactly what you want.”
This isn’t the scenario the Mets envisioned when they signed him to a hefty five-year, $75 million deal prior to the 2023 season. Yet, for now, they’re hoping to leverage the 33-year-old’s fastball and forkball to make the most of his abilities in relief.
Green highlighted the effectiveness of Chiga’s final pitch— a forkball that caught Abimelech Ortiz swinging.
Chiga quickly secured the first two outs in the ninth but then allowed a single to Jacob Young and later hit CJ Abrams, raising the stakes for Ortiz. Nevertheless, he closed out the game successfully.
Since his last start as a regular rotation player on June 23, Chiga has struggled with a 10.08 ERA, but any improvement would be welcome at this point.
Given his prior moments of success, Chiga’s willingness to embrace new responsibilities is hardly unexpected.
He mentioned that the adrenaline rush from coming out of the bullpen feels quite “different,” and with just one more year and $15 million left on his contract, it appears this might become a familiar situation for him.
Meanwhile, Mark Vientos is on the mend from a fractured right hand; he has been conducting batting and agility drills on the field, but there’s no timeline yet for when his rehab assignment will commence.
On a positive note, Francisco Lindor continued to shine, hitting a game-tying home run in the sixth inning, which helped compensate for an error in the third that resulted in an unearned run.
