Mets promising start to Braves series ends in unmitigated disaster

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Edwin Diaz was one strike away from silencing his critics and capturing back-to-back saves against the Braves to open the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. After falling behind Marcell Ozuna 3-0 with two-outs and the Mets leading in 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Diaz was on the verge of shutting the door on Atlanta and in doing so his detractors as well. On a 3-1 pitch Ozuna whiffed on a halcious slider that just painted the black of home plate and settled into Wilson Ramos' glove for a strike.

Instead of doubling up, Diaz and his battery-mate targeted a fastball for the outeredge of the plate and with one herculian swing, the ball was blasted over the left field wall to tie the game at 2 apiece. The cardboard cutouts sat in stunned silence in the stands as every Mets' fans worst fear had become a reality: another blown save. The new extra inning rules, where the last out from the prior inning becomes the runner on second base with no outs, didn't take long to bite the Mets in the rear ends. Atlanta tacked on three runs in the top half of the tenth and despite loading the bases with no-outs, the Mets scratched out just one run in the bottom of the frame to lose 5-3.

Just like that, Diaz has turned a potential uplifting win, into a devastating loss. The Mets had a bounceback opportunity on ESPN's Sunday Night baseball to salvage the final game of the series and depart Citi Field with a season-opening series-win, but the Braves had other plans in mind. Starter Rick Porcello was ambushed giving up six runs in just two innings pitched and mop-up man Corey Oswalt took his lick surrendering five runs in four innings. All told, the Braves waxed the Mets 14-1 and sent them packing for Boston with a sour taste in their mouths.

With a three-game set starting at Fenway Park on Monday night, the Amazin's will need to get the bats of Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso going and Diaz back in the right frame of mind to get their house in order. Michael Waccha will make his Mets debut in the series opener as he takes of Josh Osich with first pitch set for 7:30PM.