This is what the Subway Series is all about.
Aaron Judge vs. Edwin Diaz.
Power vs. power.
Star vs. star.
Diaz came out on top in that marquee matchup on Saturday afternoon, striking out Judge to finish off the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Yankees in the Bronx.
“Facing the best hitter at the end of the game is really fun,” Diaz said. “I was trying to make my pitches, compete against him and just get me home.”
Diaz hurled a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his 10th save. He struck out Austin Wells with a slider and induced a soft lineout from Ben Rice before he pumped a high, 99-mph fastball past Judge on a 3-2 count.
“For Diaz to come in the ninth and just get the three outs with the way he did it, attacking … it was really good to see conviction with all of his pitches,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
It was the seventh consecutive scoreless outing for Diaz, who topped out at 100 mph on Saturday and repeatedly threw his fastball in the upper 90s.
That was notable considering Diaz’s fastball velocity became a talking point when it sat around 93-95 mph during spring training and around 92-96 mph in early April.
“I didn’t start the way I wanted to,” Diaz said, “but right now I think I’m throwing the ball the best since 2022.”
Diaz finished ninth in National Cy Young Award voting in 2022 after recording a 1.31 ERA, 32 saves and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings.
His fastball averaged 99.1 mph during that dominant season.
Diaz missed all of 2023 due to the torn patellar tendon he suffered during that year’s World Baseball Classic. Upon returning last season, Diaz pitched to a 3.52 ERA, with his fastball averaging 97.5 mph.
His average fastball velocity was down to a career-low 96.5 mph this season entering Saturday, but Diaz has ramped up that pitch of late.
“Slider’s 91. Fastball’s 99, 100,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “I like what I see, for sure.”
Diaz ended April with a 4.50 ERA through 12 appearances, but his recent surge — including Saturday’s 17-pitch gem — has lowered that number to 3.00.
The right-hander attributes a mechanical adjustment to his recent success.
“I just tried to throw my fastball straight to the hitter,” Diaz said. “I was missing a lot armside, and now I can throw it right in the middle, and that’s what I want.”
His battle with Judge capped an 0-for-5 afternoon for the Yankees slugger, who struck out three times but is still hitting an MLB-best .402.
“He was electric today,” first baseman Pete Alonso said of Diaz. “He had command of all of his pitches, and he just looked really explosive. I had a conversation with him the other day, and right now in his process, he’s crushing it. He’s crushing his process and obviously it’s showing on the field.”
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