Edwin Diaz was scheduled to pitch Saturday regardless of the outcome of the game between the Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers, so he didn’t think much of it when he started warming up in the eighth inning of a losing game.
But then came an unfamiliar feeling: nervousness.
“When I started warming up, I felt like I was getting nervous,” Diaz said following the Mets’ 7-6 loss to the Brewers at Citi Field on Saturday. “It’s been a long time out. More than a year [since I heard] our crowd. But I controlled my emotions pretty good. I threw my pitches and got good results.”
Diaz, the Mets right-handed closer with electric stuff and an electric warmup song, made his first appearance at Citi Field since October 2022, when the Mets hosted the San Diego Padres in the playoffs. He’s been waiting for this moment for more than a year, having sat out all of the 2023 season to rehab from knee surgery.
It wasn’t quite like he remembered since there was no save on the line, but the reception from the fans was.
“I was really happy to see the crowd,” he said. “It gave me chills.”
The crowd was already fired up with Brett Baty having pinch-hit a massive three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to bring the Mets back to within two runs of tying the game. When Diaz came out to “Narco,” the excitement went to another level.
A crowd of 30,296 stayed to the end with the chance of seeing Diaz’s return. While they might have left disappointed by the outcome of the game, Diaz did not disappoint.
Rhys Hoskins, who had gone 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, two runs and a walk to that point, led off. Diaz retired him for the first out.
The crowd was into it.
“They love our team and they love me,” Diaz said. “And I was really, really, really happy when I started hearing everyone cheering and screaming.”
Diaz pitched around a one-out single, striking out rookie Jackson Chourio to end the inning and give the Mets a chance to complete the comeback.
BROTHERLY LOVE
Mets right-hander Tylor Megill likely won’t get to pitch against his older brother Trevor since the Milwaukee right-hander made back-to-back appearances this week, but that won’t stop the Megill family from enjoying the weekend.
The two brothers exchanged lineup cards before the game began on Saturday while their parents, Kevin and Julie, proudly recorded on their phones. They flew in from California for the occasion with custom jerseys bearing both logos and numbers.
The family has been out to dinner a handful of times this week with Tylor picking up the check for Trevor since he’s the visitor in his younger brother’s city. But the younger Megill insists his brother will return the favor when the Mets end the season in Milwaukee. Trevor already has plans to take Tylor to Carnevor Steakhouse, a place known for prime cuts and prime seafood.
“We talk all the time, whether it’s life or baseball,” Tylor said. “We’re really, really close.”
The duo often give each other feedback on hitters around the league, but for this particular weekend, the feedback, understandably, was put on hold.
SEVERINO’S SHAKY START
This was not the debut that right-hander Luis Severino was hoping for. The former Yankees ace took credit for the loss, saying his breaking ball was not as sharp as it needed to be. He said the chilly weather could have been a factor, but he didn’t want to make excuses.
Still, it was a more competitive start than many he had last season in the Bronx. At the very least, it was reassuring.
“At least I was competing out there,” he said. “I went into the fifth inning, but they had a bunch of base hits, and then Hoskins got me on a breaking pitch right in the middle. The breaking ball was not there today. I need to keep working on that.”
The Brewers tagged Severino for six earned runs on twelve hits over five innings.
“He was missing a lot over the plate,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “When you’re facing a lineup like that with some good hitters, big-league hitters want to make you pay.”
