New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza thinks reliever Edwin Diaz is back.
And maybe the Mets are back, too.
New York will look for its fourth straight win on Saturday afternoon when it hosts the San Diego Padres in the middle contest of a three-game set.
Left-hander Jose Quintana (1-5, 5.29 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against Padres right-hander Adam Mazur (0-1, 9.00).
J.D. Martinez laced a two-run double on Friday, and Diaz earned his first save since May 6 when he worked around a ninth-inning leadoff single to preserve the Mets’ 2-1 win.
Diaz’s effectiveness Friday — when he hit 100 mph with his fastball and struck out Jake Cronenworth with a 91-mph slider to leave Jose Azocar stranded at third base — was a reminder of what the Mets have been missing for most of the last year-and-a-half.
The Mets went 101-61 in 2022, when Diaz finished 3-1 with 32 saves and a 1.31 ERA. But Diaz missed last season after tearing his right patellar tendon during the World Baseball Classic, and New York went 77-85 while its relievers posted a 4.45 ERA and blew 18 save opportunities.
Diaz opened the season by converting five of his first six save opportunities and posting a 2.45 ERA in 14 games through May 6. But he went 1-0 with three blown saves and briefly lost his job in a six-appearance span from May 12-25 before going on the injured list with what the Mets said was a right shoulder impingement.
Diaz threw two scoreless innings in a pair of rehab appearances before being activated Thursday. He tossed a perfect ninth and earned the win in the Mets’ 3-2 walkoff victory over the Miami Marlins.
The Mets have won seven of their last nine games to improve to 31-37 and move within three games of the third wild-card spot in the National League.
“He’s back,” Mendoza said, “And we’re going to need him. He’s going to continue to work through some things, but as long as he’s feeling healthy with confidence, we’ll be in a good spot.”
Diaz prevented the Padres from pulling off their fourth straight comeback win Friday night. San Diego overcame an early one-run deficit in a 6-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Monday before earning walk-off victories via homers by Kyle Higashioka and Jackson Merrill, respectively, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Merrill’s homer Friday accounted for the only run by the Padres, who were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. San Diego has scored its last seven runs via the homer dating to Higashioka’s blast.
“Difference was we were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring positions (and) they were 1-for-5,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “Took good at-bats, hit some balls at people. At the end of the day, it just wasn’t enough.”
Quintana received a no-decision on Sunday after allowing three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings vs. the Philadelphia Phillies in London. He is 2-0 with a 5.70 ERA in seven career games (five starts) against the Padres.
Mazur took the loss in his second career start and appearance on Sunday after yielding eight runs on as many hits over three innings in a 9-3 setback to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has never opposed the Mets.
–Field Level Media