Closer Alexis Díaz saves the day in Reds win over the Mets
With two outs in the top of the eighth inning on Tuesday, the lights started flashing at Great American Ball Park, and the trumpets started blaring over the speakers. Reds closer Alexis Díaz’s new walkout music is an homage to his brother, injured New York Mets’ closer Edwin Díaz.
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Facing one of the best lineups in baseball, Reds manager David Bell called on Diaz earlier than expected and asked him to deliver the type of magic that has made Edwin a superstar. On Tuesday, as the Reds beat the Mets 7-6 in front of a crowd of 14,065 fans at Great American Ball Park, Alexis Díaz delivered.
He entered the game with two runners on base and two outs in the eighth inning. The Reds’ six-run lead had turned into a one-run lead, and Díaz opened his appearance by walking Mets designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach. Then with the bases loaded, Díaz struck out Mets pinch-hitter Luis Guillorme on a slider in the dirt. Díaz went back out for the ninth inning, stayed on the attack and got his seventh save of the year.
He dropped a first-pitch slider in the zone for a strike to Mets catcher Francisco Álvarez, who homered twice on Tuesday, and got him to strike out looking on a slider on the bottom edge of the strike zone. Against Mets leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo, Diáz threw a first pitch strike with a fastball and got the Mets’ center fielder to watch a slider drop in the strike zone for a strikeout. Then, Mets superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor rolled over a first-pitch fastball for a game-ending groundout.
Last week, Díaz shut down the heart of the San Diego Padres’ order to get the Reds a win. This time, against a similarly star-studded lineup, Díaz showed the poise and the devastating pitches that can make him a star.
He fell behind 2-0 to Guillorme but battled back with perfectly placed fastballs that rose upward in the strike zone. Then, Díaz threw a devastating slider, the pitch that Edwin calls the last step for Alexis to get to his level. Guillorme whiffed, and Díaz clapped his hands in celebration.
He went back out for the ninth inning. During Díaz’s only other attempt at a multi-inning save this year, he pitched poorly and lost the Reds a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. This time, Díaz finished the job and came through for the Reds in the ninth inning.
Takeaways from Reds vs. Mets
1. The Reds don’t have a superstar like Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor or first baseman Pete Alonso or a two-time All-Star like Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil. Reds second baseman Jonathan India looks the closest on the Reds’ roster to becoming that type of player. He hit an RBI groundout, smoked a two-run double to left field and hit an RBI sacrifice fly, accounting for four of the Reds’ runs as they took a six-run lead. Following that plate appearance, India improved his batting average to .307.
2. Reds third baseman Nick Senzel played almost as big of a role in the offense’s production as India. Senzel has been the Reds’ most improved player this year, and he has been especially tough against left-handed pitching. In the first inning, Senzel doubled and later scored the Reds’ first run of the game. He added an RBI single in his next plate appearance and sparked the offense from the No. 2 spot in the order.
3. Reds starting pitcher Luke Weaver commanded his pitches well and gave the Reds one of their longest starts of the season. He allowed three solo homers, but he limited all of the other damage and pitched into the seventh inning. While allowing home runs has been his weakness this year, Weaver has shown a reliable, dynamic fastball and an impressive changeup that the Mets couldn’t make hard contact against.
Stat of the day
Friedl has three of the Reds’ seven triples in 2023.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Closer Alexis Díaz saves the day in Reds win over the Mets
