After a one-hour rain delay, the Mets' pitching staff nearly blanked the Padres, 2-1, on Friday night at Citi Field.
Here are the takeaways...
- J.D. Martinez scored the final two runs for the Mets in their win on Thursday and he drove in the first two for New York on Friday. With Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo on base, Martinez lined a double the opposite way into the right-field corner to put the Mets up 2-0.
Martinez's double would be the last Mets hit until Nimmo's infield single in the eighth inning. They only mustered four hits in total.
Padres starter, and "sometimes" knuckleballer, Matt Waldron pitched seven innings, giving up just the two runs on three hits, two walks and two HBP. He also struck out two batters.
- On the other side, Sean Manaea was also dealing on Friday, sitting down seven Padres via the strikeout over the first five innings. His only blemish was a solo shot he gave up to Jackson Merrill in the fifth. The left-hander started the sixth but gave up a leadoff single to Luis Arraez and was pulled after throwing 90 pitches (58 strikes). Arraez was erased trying to steal second after coming off the bag, ending Manaea's night -- and giving Francisco Alvarez's caught base stealer of his season.
Manaea pitched 5+ innings, giving up one run on four hits, one walk and striking out seven.
- In relief of Manaea, the Mets' bullpen was a bit up-and-down. Adam Ottavino got five outs without issue and struck out two. Jake Diekman, however, hit and walked a batter to bring Merrill up with a chance to tie the game, but the left-hander got the young outfielder to fly out to end the threat in the seventh.
Sean Reid-Foley pitched a perfect eighth and Edwin Diaz, pitching on back-to-back days, came in for the ninth in his first save opportunity since May 25. After a leadoff single, he struck out Manny Machado on a 100 mph fastball. McNeil ranged to his left to get a groundball for out number two, and then struck out Jake Cronenworth on a slider with a man on third to close out the win.
It's Diaz's first save since May 6.
Game MVP: Edwin Diaz
The MVP is the whole pitching staff really, but this game was most important to Diaz and his confidence moving forward.