Edwin Díaz did not get off to a great start with the Mets or their fan base when he arrived as a key trade acquisition in 2020, so the All-Star closer understands better than most what Ryan Helsley has been going through over his first four weeks with the team.
Helsley coughed up another lead in the eighth inning Tuesday night before the Mets rebounded for a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Phillies.
“I’ve been through that, and my advice to him is stay with your head up,” said Díaz, who recorded the final five outs to earn the victory. “We trust him. We know the pitcher he is, he’s one of the best closers in the game. He’s going through some bad moments right now, but we [have] trust in him and we support him. Just stay with your head up and keep going.”
The Mets acquired Helsley, a former closer who saved 49 games last season, from the Cardinals, while also trading for relievers Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers ahead of the July 31 deadline to fortify the back end of their bullpen ahead of Díaz.
Helsley flushed a 5-3 lead Tuesday night on a two-run homer by Harrison Bader in the eighth, giving him 10 earned runs surrendered and a 10.38 ERA over 8 ²/₃ innings with the Mets.
He now has surrendered four blown saves in 11 appearances, leading some to believe he may be tipping pitches.
“We just gotta get Helsley right,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Too good of stuff for them to be taking really good swings on fastballs, really good takes on the sliders. We gotta look back and see what we’re missing with him.
“Because for those guys or for teams to have comfortable at-bats like that, something is going on here that we have to figure out.
Díaz pitched to a 5.59 ERA and was booed often during his first season with the Mets in 2019 following a trade from the Mariners before establishing himself as a Citi Field fan favorite.
The three-time All-Star has been stellar this season, with 24 saves, a 1.60 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 50 ²/₃ innings over 49 appearances.
He struck out the first four of five batters he faced Tuesday night, including Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper bridging the eighth and ninth before Brandon Nimmo won the game in the bottom half with a bases-loaded single off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
