Two years ago, Edwin Diaz was a model of consistency. Now, the Mets closer seems to be plagued by the same inconsistencies as the rest of the staff.
Diaz came out for the save in the ninth inning on Monday night with the Mets leading the Philadelphia Phillies by two. By the time he exited, the game was tied. The Mets ultimately lost 5-4 in the 10th inning when automatic runner Bryce Harper scored on a sacrifice fly. Right-hander Sean Reid-Foley was charged with loss (1-1).
“Today was not a good day for me,” Diaz said. “I let the team down. Reid-Foley got the loss but it’s on me because I gave up a two-run lead. I blew it. I think I just have to keep working and when they give me the ball, I do my job.”
Up 4-2 in the ninth, Diaz gave up a leadoff homer to Bryson Stott. Kody Clemens, the son of former Yankees ace Roger Clemens, pinch-hit a single to center. Diaz then walked Brandon Marsh to put two on with none out. The right-hander got two outs before walking Whit Merrifield to load the bases.
The left fielder checked his swing on strike three, but home plate umpire Gabe Morales awarded Merrifield the base, drawing the ire of manager Carlos Mendoza, who yelled at the officiating crew from the dugout.
“From the dugout, I thought he swung,” Mendoza said. “But at the end of the day, you can’t walk him. He got behind 3-1 and a check swing could go either way.”
Diaz then hit Alec Bohm with a pitch to bring in a run and tie the game at 3-3. The Mets challenged the call but lost. Bryce Harper struck out to end the inning. Orion Kerkering retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.
All things considered, Diaz has looked mostly like his old self this season. Still, two blown saves in less than two weeks seems uncharacteristic for one of the game’s best stoppers. Diaz has given up four home runs already this season after allowing only three in all of 2022 (62 innings). Stott connected on a fastball that was about four inches off the plate, which shows issues with command.
While his velocity was in the high 90s Monday, it has dipped a few times this season. However, the problem, according to Mendoza, is pitch sequencing.
“He goes through stretches where you see him get happy with one pitch and then gets away from the other one,” Mendoza said. “The Bohm one, three fastballs and he ended up hitting him. We’ll continue to work with him and get him back to where he needs to be.”
Though he trusts catcher Tomas Nido, he shook him off a few times Monday, something he realized he shouldn’t do.
“I don’t like to shake a lot and I did it today,” Diaz said. “I paid the price for it. I just like to follow them when they call for me to throw because they’ve been there nine innings. I’ve got to follow them.”
Left-hander Sean Manaea turned in a solid performance with six innings of one-run baseball, giving the Mets as good of a chance as any to win.
Manaea pitched six innings, scattering four hits, walking one and striking out six. He went heavy on the sinker and sweeper and threw his changeup to left-handed hitters.
“He got behind at times but he continued to attack hitters and gave us six solid innings,” Mendoza said. “I thought he was good.”
The one run allowed came in the second inning. Stott led off the inning with a single and went to third on Edmundo Sosa’s double. Manaea got two quick outs before Garrett Stubbs legged out a single on a drag bunt. Stott scored to put the Phillies up 1-0.
The Mets came back in the bottom of the inning and scored twice. Manaea didn’t allow another hit. He retired the side in order in the third, allowed a walk and a stolen base by Brandon Marsh in the fourth and then retired the next six straight. He walked off the field punching his glove with satisfaction after throwing his 100th pitch.
Left-hander Christopher Sanchez gave up three runs over 5 2/3 innings for the Phillies. Pete Alonso doubled to lead off the bottom of the second and was sent home by a double from J.D. Martinez. With two outs, Nido sent a single up the middle to score Martinez and give the Mets a 2-1 lead.
Sanchez walked in a run in the third to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.
Jose Alvarado earned the save for the Phillies (29-13), who currently sit atop the NL East standings. The loss dropped the Mets (19-21) to fourth place, behind Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington.
“I thought the boys fought really hard,” Manaea said. “A couple of things didn’t didn’t happen, but we’ve just got to get back out there tomorrow.”
