Mariners closer Edwin Díaz: Getting first All-Star nomination was ‘a special moment’
Jul 13, 2018, 4:23 PM
Edwin Diaz, on pace to challenge the MLB saves record, is one of four Mariners All-Stars. (AP)
(AP)
Closer Edwin Díaz is one of four Mariners set to play in next week’s MLB All-Star Game in Washington, D.C. It was a first-time nomination for Díaz, who has been one of the most consistent players on a Mariners team off to one of the best starts in franchise history.
Díaz has an MLB-best 36 saves this season and is on pace for 62 saves, which would tie an MLB record set in 2008 by the Angels’ Francisco Rodriguez. The 24-year-old closer has become a difference-maker for Seattle and with his performance has helped the team sustain a 26-11 record in one-run games.
“It was a special moment for me,” Díaz said of his All-Star nomination during a Thursday interview with Danny, Dave and Moore on 710 ESPN Seattle. “(It’s my) first All-Star Game. I’ll be over there with great players, we’ll try to learn a little bit about each other.”
The Mariners close out the final weekend before the break with a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies. It will give Seattle a final chance to clinch a series win on the road after losing four of its last seven.
Despite their more recent struggles, the Mariners have been this season’s biggest surprise. General manager Jerry Dipoto has attributed some of that success to the clubhouse culture.
“I think our team is a family,” Díaz said of Seattle’s comaraderie. “Everybody’s together all the time and we support (one another). I love my teammates because they support me when I (struggle) and I support them if something doesn’t happen good. I feel happy about everybody here because we are playing together; we are going together to make the playoffs.”
Díaz also talked about his bet with manager Scott Servais and his relationship with the Mariners’ catchers. Listen to his full interview with Danny, Dave and Moore in the audio clip embedded above or on this podcast page.
