In the 2019 Mets season, newly acquired superstar closer from Seattle, Edwin Diaz, had one of the most painful pitching experiences I’ve ever witnessed. Granted, there was something different about the ball in 2019, with more Home Runs hit than ever before, but Diaz seemed unable to pitch a 9th inning to close out a game without surrendering at least one of them.
In one particular game I recall him throwing his arms up in disgust as he blew another Save with a Home Run costing the Mets another Win.
Diaz is back with the Mets for 2020 and closed out the opener to give the Mets a 1-0 Win. But called upon to repeat the performance in Game 2, with only one Strike left to collect his second Save, Marcel Ozuna hit a bullet to right which cleared the fence and tied the game, blowing the Save for Diaz and striking fear in the hearts of Mets fans.
With a pandemic-shortened season, every game is critically important, so new Mets Manager Luis Rojas will have some important decisions to make when the 9th inning rolls around.
The game isn’t over, as the Mets bat in the 9th, but it should be over, and that my friends, is the problem.
The new rules in place for 2020 will start the 10th Inning with a runner on 2nd base. I last saw this in the World Baseball Classic and honestly, I think it’s pretty cool. Certainly baseball purists will cringe every time this happens, but I kind of like the instant tension it builds.
The Braves waste no time with a 10th Inning single to drive in the go ahead run and the Mets are now staring down the barrel of a loss after leading for 8 2/3 innings. Of course they’ll get their shot with a runner starting on 2nd as well. Pretty exciting right?
“My, oh my,” says Keith Hernandez as Hunter Strickland gives up 3 runs in the 10th to put the Braves up 5-2. One Strike; that’s all Diaz needed in what feels like a different game. My, oh my indeed.
As I mentioned, starting a runner at 2nd cranks up the intensity immediately. Sure enough, the Mets very quickly load the bases in their half of the 10th and are suddenly in a position to come back and snatch victory from the Jaws of Defeat.
Gary Cohen, play-by-play man extraordinaire, just expressed my thoughts on the air; i.e. that this new rule sure adds to the excitement.
The Mets scratch out a run on a Sacrifice Fly to Center Field, and still have the tying runs on base, but there are now Two Out in the Inning.
The primary goal of the new rule was to prevent lengthy, extra inning games in this shortened season, and the history in the Minor Leagues confirms this works. It works here as well, as the Mets lose in 10 Innings. A tough loss for the Boys from Flushing certainly, but I’m more concerned about the future of the Save for the Metropolitans.
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