Coming off a 9-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, the New York Mets were already in a must-win situation in Game 2 of the National League Championship series on Monday.
Even though it was just the second contest in the best-of-seven series, the Mets had to respond to prevent the Dodgers from building any kind of sustainated momentum.
New York got the job done and beat Los Angeles 7-3 to even the NLCS 1-1. And two former Seattle Mariners relievers played a big role in keeping the Mets even with the Dodgers.
Former Seattle bullpen arms Ryne Stanek and Edwin Diaz both saw the mound on Monday. Stanek saw action in the seventh inning and eighth and Diaz took the mound in the eighth for the remainder of that inning and the ninth.
Both former Mariners pitched 1.1 innings. Stanek faced six batters and struck out one while allowing one hit and walking another.
Diaz also faced six hitters. He struck out three of them, allowed one hit and walked one. Diaz closed the game out and earned his second save this postseason.
Diaz has made four appearances for New York this postseason. He has a 5.79 ERA and has struckout 10 batters in 4.2 innings pitched.
It was Stanek’s fifth outing of the playoffs. He has a 1.59 ERA and has fanned four batters in 5.2 innings pitched.
Stanek pitched for the Mariners in 46 games this season before being traded to the Mets on July 26. Stanek had a 4.88 in 63 combined appearances this season with New York and Seattle. But he’s managed to turn it on for the postseason.
Diaz was traded to the Mets on Dec. 3, 2018, coming off a year when he was named the Reliever of the Year and an All-Star. He made 54 appearances this season for New York this season and had a 3.52 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched and had 20 saves.
Diaz and Stanek aren’t the only former Mariners in the two championship series. But they have made the most impact so far. And they’ll likely get more chances to help send their current team to the World Series before the NLCS is over.
