Mariners’ Edwin Diaz makes big strides in 1st appearance since being removed from closer role
May 20, 2017, 1:29 PM
Edwin Diaz kept the Mariners tied with the White Sox on Friday night with two scoreless innings. (AP)
(AP)
In Friday night’s 2-1 loss, the Mariners were able to get Edwin Diaz his first in-game action since he was taken out of the closer role following a four-walk, one-out appearance on Monday. And after four days to work on his mechanics with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., Diaz looked like a new pitcher – or, to some extent, his old self.
The hard-throwing 23 year old had his command back as he whipped throw a pair of scoreless innings to keep the M’s and White Sox tied heading into an extra inning. Though Chicago managed a pair of hits off Diaz, they also struck out twice while he racked up 20 strikes in 29 pitches.
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The two-inning outing was exactly what manager Scott Servais had been looking to get Diaz, and it had the intended effect.
“I thought Edi Diaz threw the ball really well tonight. (To) get him back moving in the right direction is a definite positive for us,” Servais said after the game. “He was slowing it down tonight. … That’s really what I wanted to do, just get him a couple innings so he can go out and feel it and work on it and kinda slow the heartbeat down a little bit and pitch instead of getting all caught in the emotion and everything that goes with the ninth inning or a save opportunity.”
The tweaks that Diaz has made to his mechanics in recent days with the help of Stottlemyre were evident in his command and effectiveness as he looked a lot like the phenom who took the Mariners by storm last year – albeit now with more knowledge behind his game plan.
“He was able to locate his fastball to the glove side. You didn’t see the balls running off the plate like we’ve seen the last few times … and that really helps his breaking ball as well,” Servais said. “The breaking ball came back – that’s the slider that we’re used to seeing out of Edi, and we’re gonna need it.”
Servais still seems anxious to get Diaz back in the closer role, but he also knows that it must come in due time.
“There’s no doubt he’s gonna be a big part of our bullpen and hopefully work his way back into that ninth inning spot,” Servais said. “Definite positive move for him tonight.”
