The Mets have been cautious with closer Edwin Diaz for most of the season after Diaz missed all of last year due to knee surgery.
Those days are over now, with the team needing every win.
And against the Phillies, the closer performed well for the second straight game.
Diaz got the final four outs in Saturday's win, then faced another test in Sunday's 2-1 victory, being called upon for his first six-out save of the season.
Diaz held the Phillies' top of the lineup scoreless through the eighth inning, then allowed two walks in the ninth but kept them at bay as the Mets hung in there.
The closer said he didn't necessarily expect to pitch two innings when he took the mound in the eighth inning, but after throwing 11 pitches and striking out Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, manager Carlos Mendoza asked Diaz to pitch the ninth.
“I decided to use him in the eighth inning,” Mendoza said. “I wanted to use my best pitcher against their best hitter, so I just let the results take their course.”
He then checked in with Diaz and told him, “This is your game.”
With one out, Diaz walked Bryson Stott, who stole second base.
After JT Realmuto struck out with two outs, Stott ran toward third base and Francisco Alvarez's throw bounced off the base.
Fortunately for the Mets, the ball didn't travel very far and Stott remained on third base.
Alvarez's throw could have easily bounced off the left fielder, allowing Stott to score and tie the game.
Instead, Brandon Marsh walked and stole second before Diaz struck out Cody Clemens to end the game.
The Mets are off on Monday, and Mendoza said they'll have to see if Diaz is ready for Tuesday's series opener against the Braves in Atlanta.
But Diaz said he feels good.
“We'll be ready by Tuesday,” Diaz said. [have been] We've been playing playoff games since early September and it feels really good.”
Diaz pitched two scoreless innings this season, but struggled in his next eighth appearance, allowing nine earned runs and three home runs.
“Looking back, you protected him all year and avoided him going into consecutive games early on. [appearances] “Because of the circumstances, he struggled early this season coming back from a major injury, but he's an elite closer and one of the best in the game,” Mendoza said.
And that's how he's pitching now.
“You've seen his performance in 2022 recently,” Mendoza said, “and we want the best from everybody, and he's giving that to us.”
