In the Mets’ biggest game of the season against the hottest team in baseball, Max Scherzer struck out nine in seven innings of one-run ball, and Edwin Diaz struck out all three batters he faced to clinch a 4-1 win.
Good plan.
It goes without saying what Scherzer and Diaz have meant to the Mets this year – Diaz is putting up historic numbers, and since Scherzer has returned from the IL, he’s allowed just one run in 13 innings pitched, striking out 20 and walking zero – he owns a 2.15 ERA this year.
But now, these performances are occurring past the midway point against the defending World Series champs who have crept close to the Amazin’s for the division lead, making it even more special.
“It’s fun to watch that,” said manager Buck Showalter. ‘Pitch in front of a full house on the road with a grey uniform on, I think Max kind of, he rises to a lot of moments, but that was fun to watch. I had a good seat. Great tempo and command of all his pitches, and a very lethal lineup. To be able to do it any time, especially on the road, that was something.
“Nights like tonight when facing a really good team on the road with an atmosphere that’s conducive for the home team, he’s a difference-maker.”
Scherzer, who said his oblique injury is “really behind” him, has been around these parts before. He knows it's his job to tell the younger guys in the clubhouse to "play off the adrenaline," but he also knows he's got to get it done first.
“Yeah, we’re in the second half here. You want to play good baseball, especially this time of year. ... We’re in one game here in July; we gotta come out here and play a great month of July. That’s just one game, we gotta continue to play well against everybody, but it is nice to go out there and have a good team win.
“When it’s like this, you get in the second half, this is the fun part. You gotta keep a smile on your face and realize this is what you play the game for. Nothing can faze you – just go out there and play great baseball.”