Former Mariners Closer Ties Mariano Rivera in Baseball History with Impressive Feat
The New York Mets beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field. That's nothing to write home about, as the White Sox are on track to become the worst team in baseball history.
However, it was a big win for the Mets, who are now just 1.0 game back of the Atlanta Braves in the battle for the third and final wild card spot.
In the win, Mets closer Edwin Diaz earned the save, his 16th of the year. It's been an up-and-down year for Diaz, who now owns a 3.98 ERA. He also still owns elite stuff, and he struck out the side in the ninth to tie Mariano Rivera on this impressive list in baseball history.
Per Matthew Brownstein of the New York Times:
Today was the 84th time in Edwin Díaz’s major league career that he struck out at least 3 batters in a relief appearance.
That’s the same total Mariano Rivera posted as a reliever in his regular season career. #Mets
Today was the 84th time in Edwin Díaz’s major league career that he struck out at least 3 batters in a relief appearance.
— Mathew Brownstein (@MBrownstein89) September 1, 2024
That’s the same total Mariano Rivera posted as a reliever in his regular season career. #Mets https://t.co/dtWMFw8t5k
Diaz began his career with the Seattle Mariners, making his debut in 2016. He came up as a starter before transitioning into the most dominant reliever in the entire league. In three years with Seattle, he saved 109 games, including a league-best 57 back in 2018.
The Mariners traded him to the New York Mets after the 2018 season along with Robinson Cano. In that deal, they acquired outfield prospect Jarred Kelenic, who is now playing for the Atlanta Braves.
The Mariners will play the Oakland Athletics on Monday afternoon as they start a new series. First pitch is 4:07 p.m. PT.
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