The New York Mets topped the Los Angeles Angels by a final of 4-1 on Sunday night.
The game featured excellent offensive performances by Pete Alonso and J.D. Davis, as each hit a home run, and a masterful outing by starter Taijuan Walker.
Walker allowed just one run in six strong innings, in which he struck out 10 Angels hitters.
The star of the night, however, was All-Star closer Edwin Diaz.
Diaz was called upon in the eighth inning, with one man on base and one out.
He struck out Mike Trout, walked Anthony Rendon, and fanned Jared Walsh to end the threat and strand two runners.
If that wasn’t enough, he also earned three strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth, retiring Matt Duffy, Juan Lagares, and Kurt Suzuki.
“Only the 17th 5-out save in history where all 5 were Ks!,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
Only the 17th 5-out save in history where all 5 were Ks! https://t.co/kPd7lmVH2I
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 13, 2022
Diaz Is Having A Sublime Season
It’s a little baffling that there have been only 17 five-out saves in which all outs have been recorded via the strikeout.
Diaz is now one of the few pitchers to accomplish the feat.
He currently leads MLB in strikeouts per nine innings, with 17.05.
That’s a ridiculous rate: Diaz has whiffed 48 percent of the hitters he has faced, easily a career-high.
His fastball-slider combination is just lethal: he pumps his heater at over 100 mph and misses bats with his elite slider.
For the season, he has a microscopic 2.13 ERA in 25.1 innings, with 12 saves so far.
If he keeps this up, he could finish with 40 saves or more.
He has been a crucial part of the Mets’ bullpen in the early stages of the season, and one of the reasons behind the team’s successful 2022 to this point.
NEXT: Pete Alonso Comments On His Injury Status