Edwin Diaz may be pitching the ninth inning for the Mets sooner than anyone thought.
The 30-year-old right-hander was benched for the seventh inning on Friday after some struggles, but pitched a clean pitch, allowing just one hit and striking out two.
But with the rest of the bullpen struggling too – Reed Garrett blew a four-run lead in the eighth in an 8-7 loss to the Giants – Carlos Mendoza left the door open to turning to Diaz for a save opportunity on Saturday.
“He’s one of the options,” Mendoza told reporters before the game. “He’s our closest. Even though he’s going through it now, I thought yesterday was a good step in the right direction. I’ve been saying this – his work in Cleveland, even though he didn’t play in the game, in some conversations we had with him there was more conviction; it all comes down to trusting his stuff.
“Let’s put the pieces together. If it gets to the ninth inning and he’s there, he’ll have an opportunity.”
Diaz, who allowed seven runs in 2.1 innings pitched heading into Friday night, told reporters after the game that he felt noticeably better about his pitching.
“I feel really good. I’ve been working really hard the last few days,” he said. “I was able to command the glove-side fastball, my slider down and away, I was really good today.”
Added Diaz: “Whatever I did today, I have to keep doing every day. If they give me the ball tomorrow, the 9th, I’ll be ready.”
