NL WILD CARD SERIES: PADRES VS METS

October 7, 2022

Edwin Diaz

Citi Field

New York Mets

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Edwin, your entrance has obviously become a huge spectacle here in the regular season. Have you given much thought to what coming on in a playoff game in front of these fans will be like should it happen tonight?

EDWIN DIAZ: I think, if I come tonight to the game, this place will go crazy because early in the season, in the season when I was coming to the game, I can feel the emotion from the fans like, even when we play a tough game here and I was coming to the game, they go crazy.

I think today would be more electrifying than ever. So I can't wait to come to the game and see the vibe from the fans.

Q. You talked about your confidence on the mound, especially this year and how you feel like you come into the game and the game's over basically. Have you thought about how much potentially more difficult it will be to control certain emotions in your first playoff game and get to that level that you need to be at?

EDWIN DIAZ: I think for me this is another game. So I will take everything like always. I will try to control my emotions like always. I will try to do my job like always.

So when Buck need me, I will come to the game. I will do my job. Like I said every time, when they know I'm coming, they are in trouble. So I want them to feel the same thing today if Buck gives me the ball.

Q. Edwin, you were very open during the regular season, the pitching in the eighth inning, maybe the seventh if the situation called for it. Do you still feel the same about those kinds of things in the playoff?

EDWIN DIAZ: Yeah, I've got to be open in my mind. The seventh could come the head of the order, and we might be in a tight game leading by one or two runs, and if they need me, I'll be ready. I will go early to the bullpen, and I will get ready when Buck needs me.

I haven't talked to them, but I know if they need me early in the game, like seventh, eighth inning, I will be ready.

Q. Edwin, you mentioned extra innings. With the playoffs, no runner on second base if it comes to that. Just curious what you and your fellow relievers think about going back to old school baseball and if you want to see it come back for 2023 for the real season?

EDWIN DIAZ: No runner on second base is easier for us because we have to concentrate just on the hitter. We don't have the man on second. That would be easier for me or any reliever because we can concentrate on the hitter. I think we can do our job better.

Q. Edwin, you ended up getting a lot of rest in the last month of the season when you weren't used that much. Does that rest allow you to pitch multiple innings or consecutive days more and feeling better in October than you normally would have?

EDWIN DIAZ: This is my first time playing October. Basically my first time. Last month I didn't pitch much because we were winning by a lot of runs or losing close games. So I was doing a lot of work in the bullpen to get ready when they need me.

So now I will do that same thing. When they need me I will come to the game. If they need me for multiple innings, I will be ready. The main goal here is win. We've got to win every series.

My goal is help this team every time when they need me.

Q. Edwin, along those lines, how challenging was it for you to stay sharp when you were basically just working in the bullpen and you go up to a week or even longer without getting into a game?

EDWIN DIAZ: I just was trying to throw my bullpen like I was in a real game. So we got the bullpen catcher here. Langill was catching me, and I (indiscernible) as a hitter. So I was thinking he was one of the hitters. We go one AB righty and one AB lefty. I was trying to make my pitches like I was in the game.

Q. Did you ever feel when you came into a game, at least concerned that you wouldn't be as sharp as normally?

EDWIN DIAZ: No, because when I warm up to go to the game, I know I'm good when I'm throwing the ball. So if I can control my fastball and slider in the bullpen, I know in the game I will be really good.

Q. Getting back to what Steve mentioned about the entrance music and what you said about the crowd is going to be wild tonight, how do you control that adrenaline not to be over amped and maybe not to overthrow? How do you control those emotions?

EDWIN DIAZ: When I come to the game, I don't try to think much. I just try to follow my catcher. I concentrate to mind my pitches, so every time when I'm pitching, I don't try to thinking anything. I just try to think what pitch I have to throw and locate it well.

So when I'm coming to the game, I'm not thinking anything. I can feel the vibe from the fans. I can feel the vibe from the fans and everything, but at the same time, I'm concentrating to do my job. So when I get to the mound, I block everything, and I'm going to do my job.

Q. Edwin, is there anybody that you spoke with who has postseason experience coming out of the bullpen to kind of get a sense for what it might be like?

EDWIN DIAZ: No. I haven't spoke with anyone. Later I ask Ottavino and other guys who played in the playoffs before.

This is another game for me. I will try to do my job like always. When I come to the game, I will try to stay sharp like always.