Carlos Mendoza knew going into Game 5 of the NLCS that he would likely need to get 12 outs from a combination of Ryne Stanek and Edwin Diaz. Much has been made of the way the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup can control the strike zone, and for good reason: a long lineup full of patient hitters will force even the best pitchers to throw the ball right over the plate.
If that pitch isn’t good, it’s as good as gone.
While the hope was that left-hander David Peterson would be able to get through about six innings, Mendoza knew that was unlikely. However, Stanek and Diaz proved to be the right people for the job, helping the Mets win Game 5 and avoid elimination. Stanek threw a career-high 2 1/3 innings picking up the win in relief, and Diaz threw two innings to send the series back to Los Angeles for Game 6 and a possible Game 7.
“He was ready,” Diaz said of Stanek. “I was talking to him in the bullpen and he told me he would be ready to go six outs, seven outs, nine outs if they named him. And he did a really good job.”
It was seven outs, but who’s counting? The Mets’ hard-throwing right-hander is a playoff veteran, having made 29 postseason appearances. A key member of the Houston Astros’ bullpen from 2021-2023, he understands how to keep the emotions in check, but he also understands when to use them. It’s part of the reason the Mets targeted him at the trade deadline, knowing that his experience would be beneficial for a deep October run.
While Diaz, a relative playoff newcomer, started preparing earlier than normal in the bullpen, Stanek changed nothing.
“I think my philosophy and my approach to the game is kind of let it all hang and go as hard as I can for as long as I can,” he said. “Whenever I’m told to be done, I’m done.”
Stanek entered the game in the top of the fifth to face Shohei Ohtani. Right-hander Reed Garrett had just given up a three-run homer to No. 9 hitter Andy Pages, and the Mets’ lead was cut in half, 10-5.
Stanek struck out Ohtani, getting him to swing and miss on a high fastball on the sixth pitch of the at-bat.
The Mets went down in order in the bottom of the inning and Stanek gave up a leadoff home run to Mookie Betts in the sixth. He retired the next three in order and the Mets rewarded him with an insurance run.
Relievers don’t often get up more than twice, but out came Stanek in the seventh inning. He anticipated two ups, but not three. However, he was unfazed, retiring Kiké Hernandez, Max Muncy and Will Smith. Getting Muncy out was particularly big considering he reached base 12 consecutive times until the second inning of Game 5.
“Honestly, I had no idea,” he said. I was kind of in-between. I knew the count was good and it was going to be a situation where likely, I might be asked to go back out, and it maybe not be a situation where they’re going, ‘Hey, you’ve got to get the full [inning],’ but maybe I go out there and somebody might pick me up at some point. But the fact that I was able to go out there and get three quick ones was good.”
Diaz has needed to be settled down a few times this month, but not Friday night. He struck out Pages and Ohtani in the eighth before getting Betts to hit a weak grounder to second base. The closer gave up a two-out single to Tommy Edman in the ninth, but made the final out easily.
Stanek and Diaz turned in the kind of performances that turn relievers into playoff heroes. With a day off Friday, the Mets should have a more rested bullpen for Game 6.
“We haven’t done anything the easy way yet this year, so we might as well do it now,” Stanek said. “It’s an opportunity to do something special and why stop now? Obviously, they’re a good team, and we know that. But we know we have a good team and we’re not going to go down without swinging.”
