Right-hander induces huge double play, sets stage for Núñez's first career save
July 14th, 2024
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComoNEW YORK -- The process of fortifying the relief corps began this week, when the Mets acquired Phil Maton from the Rays. If the team intends to compete for a playoff spot despite two members of its Opening Day bullpen undergoing Tommy John surgery, two others severely underperforming and a fifth long since designated for assignment, more additions will be necessary.
But don’t discount the importance of help from within. To that end, the Mets might be onto something with José Buttó and Dedniel Núñez, two pitchers who began the season with Triple-A Syracuse without ever seriously challenging for big league roster spots.
On Saturday afternoon, Buttó entered a fraught situation in the fifth inning at Citi Field, with the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base and one out. He induced a 3-6-1 double play to end the threat, hustling to cover first base himself, before pitching into the eighth to earn the win in a 7-3 victory over the Rockies.
Núñez recorded the final six outs for his first career save, striking out the final three batters he faced in New York’s fifth consecutive win.
“Unbelievable job -- both of them,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
The Mets had reason to celebrate the occasion, considering how often they had lost this type of game early in the season. After rallying for four runs off Colorado starter Ryan Feltner in the second inning, including two on a Jeff McNeil double, they could not widen the margin from there until late.
Colorado, meanwhile, ground down rookie starter Christian Scott over 4 1/3 innings, necessitating a heavy workload from New York’s bullpen.
Enter Buttó, a pitcher whom team officials recently considered too valuable a rotation depth piece to be a full-time reliever. Only in a time of need did the Mets reluctantly begin using Buttó out of the bullpen, where he’s suddenly -- once again -- proving too valuable to move.
Entering with runners on first and second base and one out in the fifth, Buttó coaxed an inning-ending double-play ball out of Rockies catcher Elias Díaz, rushing over to first base to beat the slow-moving Díaz to the bag. Buttó returned to strike out the side in the sixth and punch out two more in the seventh, before finally allowing a pair of baserunners in the eighth.
At that point, Núñez relieved Buttó, inducing another double play and a pop-up to strand both runners. The best part of Núñez’s first career save? His nine-year-old son and two-year-old daughter were on hand to watch him pitch for the first time this season.
“It’s something where it’s even more than being blessed, more than grateful, more than excited,” Núñez said through an interpreter.
“I’m not impressed at all,” deadpanned shortstop Francisco Lindor, who added a late three-run homer to provide the final margin.
Considering the state of New York’s bullpen at the start of July, it’s not a stretch to say that pitchers like Buttó and Núñez have saved the Mets’ summer. Five of the eight relievers on the Opening Day roster are either out for the year or no longer with the team. The remaining three -- Edwin Díaz, Adam Ottavino and Jake Diekman -- have struggled to varying extents, with Ottavino and Diekman in particular combining for a 5.17 ERA.
Those issues, combined with Díaz’s recent sticky stuff suspension, have resulted in nine Mets relievers earning saves, the franchise’s most since a record 10 pitchers did it in 1982. Team officials have been forced to look in varying nooks and crannies for answers, recently acquiring Maton and asking Buttó to join the bullpen at the expense of starting pitching depth. And they’re not done tinkering.
Asked if he would ultimately like to go back to being a starter, Buttó said he’s “happy in the bullpen right now because we’re doing our job” but is willing to do whatever the Mets ask. His manager, however, left little doubt.
“Safe to say he’ll stay in the bullpen,” Mendoza said, laughing.
To be clear: the Mets haven’t solved their bullpen problem -- not yet, anyway. They still rank 20th in the Majors in relief ERA. They still need more help, and they continue to search for it. But the abilities of Buttó and Núñez to tide them over in the interim has made the entire picture look quite a bit rosier.
“We’re going to need a lot of people, and we’ve shown that,” Mendoza said. “But we feel good about where we’re at as a team and as an organization as well.”
