Díaz suspension mercifully ends, and the Mets finally win
New York puts an end to their three-game losing skid with a 5-2 win in Pittsburgh. Plus, how big an impact one man makes in Edwin Díaz.
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets broke their short losing skid with a 5-2 win over the Pirates in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon (box)
C Luis Torrens delivered the biggest hit for the offense in the victory, clubbing a two-out, three-run double as part of a 3-for-4 performance at the plate
SS José Iglesias added a clutch RBI double in the sixth inning to tack onto the lead
LHP David Peterson had positive moments but was ultimately incapable of getting through innings cleanly as he went just 4.1 innings while allowing two runs with five strikeouts
After missing 10 games and being unavailable for the last 13 days, RHP Edwin Díaz finally returned to the club after his suspension ended and converted his eighth save of the season
The Mets bullpen — José Buttó, Reed Garrett, Deniel Núñez and Díaz — combined to pitch 4.2 shutout innings, allowing just one hit and three walks with four strikeouts
Roster Moves 🗞️
RHP Edwin Díaz activated
RHP Ty Adcock optioned to Triple-A Syracuse
RHP Eric Orze contract selected from Triple-A Syracuse
Who’s Hot 🔥
Since returning from the injured list, Edwin Díaz has allowed just two hits, no runs and no walks with four strikeouts and is 3-for-3 in save opportunities over five appearances
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Mike Vasil (No. 12 prospect, Triple-A): 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K (loss)
SS Luisangel Acuña (No. 5 prospect, Triple-A): 1-for-4, 2 K
DH Ryan Clifford (No. 4 prospect, Double-A): 2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, run scored
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (43-44) at Pirates (42-46)
Where: PNC Park — Pittsburgh, PA
Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (5-3, 3.67 ERA) vs. RHP L.L. Ortiz (4-2, 3.27 ERA)
When: 1:35 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
It’s good to have you back, Edwin… ✍️
The most impactful and, depending on who you ask, stupidest suspension of the 2024 baseball season mercifully came to an end on Saturday as closer Edwin Díaz finally made his return to the Mets. And boy, did that have an instant impact on this bullpen.
Prior to Saturday afternoon, Díaz had last stepped on the mound on June 23rd against the Cubs and was ejected before ever throwing a pitch due to supposedly having an illegal sticky substance on his pitching hand. Whether it was too much of a legal substance or an actual illegal substance, we’ll never truly know, but what we do know for sure is how that ejection changed the trajectory of this baseball team.
After Díaz was ejected, Drew Smith was unexpectedly called into action on short notice and had to enter the game. Later in the inning, Smith also had to leave the game because of an injury and may now require Tommy John surgery which would end his season. Now, it’s hard to speculate what impact, if any, this late-notice entrance to the game may or may not have had on Smith, but it does seem possible that if he was dealing with something prior to that outing that this could have been something that put him over the edge.
When all was said and done, Díaz was suspended the MLB standard 10 games for violating the sticky stuff rule, and ultimately missed 11 games (counting the one he was ejected from) and nearly two full weeks. And how did the Mets bullpen fare during that time without their closer? Well, you probably already know this, but it definitely wasn’t good…
Over the 10 games that Díaz served his suspension, the Mets bullpen posted an 8.37 ERA with 42 hits, 35 runs (31 earned), 18 walks, eight home runs and only 30 strikeouts over 33.1 innings pitched. During those 10 games, Mets relievers were charged with three blown saves and the club lost two games in which they held a five-run lead.
No matter who they turned to, whether it was Reed Garrett, Jake Diekman (don’t even get me started on him), or the cavalcade of Triple-A relievers they continuously cycled into and out of the roster, no lead was ever safe and stocks for antacids in New York spiked to new heights.
Yesterday in Pittsburgh, however, a light finally began to shine through that tunnel. Despite their starter in David Peterson only giving them 4.1 innings, an issue that has been all-too-common for the Mets this season, this bullpen put on one of their better performances of this entire season. The quartet of José Buttó, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez and Edwin Díaz combined to pitch 4.2 innings of shutout baseball while allowing just one hit on three walks and four strikeouts.
It may have only been one game, but it truly is amazing the impact that just one Edwin Díaz can potentially have on this entire unit. While no one will trust this unit as-is after going through a bullpen experience akin to the second half of the 2008 season, you’d be surprised to know that this is a group that was actually faring well up until recently.
Prior to Díaz’s suspension on June 24th, the Mets bullpen ranked 11th in all of baseball with a 3.54 ERA and led the major leagues in strikeouts with 326. Now that Díaz is back and Dedniel Núñez has seemingly established himself as this team’s true set-up man, perhaps this unit is in a bit better shape than we may think.
Factor in that Buttó has looked very effective in a role as a reliever that may stick for the remainder of the year, the impending return of Kodai Senga potentially pushing either David Peterson or Tylor Megill into a reliever role and, of course, the impending trade deadline, maybe all is not lost when it comes to this Mets bullpen, after all.
No doubt about it, there is still much work to be done and a lot of trauma from the prior 10 games that needs to be worked out of everyone’s systems and left behind, and there is some dead weight that will eventually need to be cut loose as well (looking at you, Diekman) but if Saturday’s performance and the statistics prior to Díaz’s suspension tell us anything, it’s that this is an entirely different bullpen with the presence of just one man.
Around the League 🚩
Yankees rookie 1B Ben Rice hit three home runs and drove in seven runs in the club’s 14-2 beatdown over the Red Sox
Twins 3B José Miranda matched the all-time MLB record after recording a hit in 12 consecutive at-bats as Minnesota defeated the Astros, 9-3
Nationals rookie James Wood hit his first career home run and drove in five runs as Washington knocked off the Cardinals by a 14-6 score
Dodgers C Will Smith tied the all-time MLB record by hitting home runs in four consecutive at-bats (over two games) as LA beat the Brewers, 5-3
The Oakland A’s absolutely blasted the Orioles by a 19-8 score, hitting five home runs and scoring in six different innings
Good to have Diaz back in action. He is a key piece to close the door in the 9th!
When the Mets get bitten by a bad call, remember the two "strikes" at a key moment of the game yesterday that were so dubious that Keith thought them balls.
Peterson was put on a short leash. He probably could have gone longer than 4.1. But, it worked out okay. Mendoza pushed Scott and Servino to a questionable length & that didn't work out.