NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: METS VS DODGERS

October 20, 2024

Edwin Diaz

Dodger Stadium

New York Mets

Pregame 6 Press Conference

Q. What was your reaction to seeing the Yankees win last night?

EDWIN DÍAZ: It was fun. I was watching it in my room with my family. It was really fun to see that homer by Soto in the 10th, I think it was in the game. And them celebrating in the field was pretty fun.

Q. Have you allowed yourself to dream how electric it would be if it got to be Mets-Yankees at the end of the week here?

EDWIN DÍAZ: Yeah, it would be really electric. We have been playing in the Subway Series, and they've been playing the Subway Series for a long time, but they've haven't been in the World Series together since 2000. So to be part of that, if we got the chance, it would be great for me and it would be great for all the fans.

Q. You pitched two innings two days ago. Just how long do you think you could go today?

EDWIN DÍAZ: Whenever they need me. I did a lot of recovery yesterday. We are facing an elimination game again today. So whenever Mendy need me, I'll be ready to go. And I'll do it until they take the ball out of my hand.

Q. We've seen some very good relievers have tough postseasons. You saw it with Cleveland for sure. How challenging is it this time of year to kind of stay in top shape with all the work and the high pressure and the good teams you're facing?

EDWIN DÍAZ: Personally, I've been feeling great because early in the season I didn't pitch much. So they started using me more frequently at the end of the season. So personally, I feel really fresh.

It was tough to see those guys give up a lot of runs, like Clase. He was amazing in the regular season, but he didn't have the same command he did early in the season.

He was battling there. He was going out there competing every single night. He pitched the last three games in a row. He gave up the first two. Yesterday he came out and competed, and that was really good to see.

Q. Do you think that the fatigue and if being tired is probably a big factor with a lot of these guys that have pitched a lot of appearance and a lot of innings?

EDWIN DÍAZ: I think everyone is tired right now. This is a long season. We've been here since Spring Training, since February. I think everyone's tired, just me and everyone because we are playing late October.

So as a pitcher, for me I just try to control myself, do a lot of recovery with training to try to be ready because it's tough to pitch every single day, throw multiple innings. But like me, I do a lot of recovery. I work a lot with the trainers, so I feel fresh always.

Q. Just kind of off of that, at the beginning of the year there were kind of concerns about your velocity. In the middle of the year there were some struggles. Right now do you feel like you're about where you were pre-surgery?

EDWIN DÍAZ: Yeah, I feel I've been getting improvement since I started the season. My velocity wasn't there early in the season. Then I keep working, keep doing all my things. My velo came back.

And right now I feel really good. I feel like I'm able to work multiple innings and I'm able to command my pitches the way I want to. And the more important thing for me is to go out and compete. I think I'm doing that really good right now.

Q. For you and for other players, how much of a sense is there that this is just the start of something for the Mets and you guys can do things like this every year or almost every year?

EDWIN DÍAZ: It's good because we've got a really good team. We've got a great team, I think. And for the next couple of years the Mets will be good, I think, because the philosophy they have right now is really good. We want to win, ownership, manager, everyone wants to win.

So they push the players to perform the way they want to. And that's something I like because, like I always say, I'm a winner. I like to win always. And being with this organization it's a blessing.

Q. You've experienced a lot of turnover of the Mets leadership in your years here. What's it been like playing in year one for David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza?

EDWIN DÍAZ: It's been great. They've been clear with every step we make. Something I like, on day one, they talk to you straight. They come to me and say, we want you to do this, to do that.

That's something I like. I like to know where I am. And that's one thing I love from Davey and Mendy.

Q. When you faced the same hitters maybe two days in a row or twice in three days, do you like to give them something different? Do you worry if they may cheat to what you showed them the last time? How do you approach game planning when somebody sees you very often?

EDWIN DÍAZ: I don't try to change my game plan all the time. I try to follow the catchers. Like Alvie says, if it's Alvie or Torrens catching, they've been there the whole game, so why come from the bullpen and change their mentality? So I just try to follow them always. If I don't like one pitch they call, I try to shake it; but 98 percent of the time I follow them and trust whatever they call.

Q. When you do see a hitter often in a series, what set of differences do you tend to see?

EDWIN DÍAZ: I think I've been facing this guy like twice in the series, I just trust my stuff, I just go after them like I always do with everyone. They see starters three time in a game, so they will see me the way I pitch my third time. So I just trust myself and I go after them always.

Q. Mendy had a lot of experience around players before he became a manager. For you guys, he's made some hard decisions with you sometimes earlier in the year. Why has he been so good to deal with, do you think, as a manager, from your relationship with him?

EDWIN DÍAZ: Because like I said, he's clear with everyone. He talks straight to everyone. We had our conversation early in the year. I wasn't performing the way everyone is expecting and he talked to me. He told me, we want to give you a break to recover your confidence and everything. As soon as you have it, you will go back to your normal role. So that's something he talked to me, and he did it. So I respect him a lot.

Q. Do you think that just the guys around the clubhouse kind of have that same feeling, that he's supportive but also straight?

EDWIN DÍAZ: Yeah, I think everyone loves that. We've got a really good relationship in the clubhouse. He spent time with us in the clubhouse sometimes and that's something we like.