Edwin Díaz had longed for this, and so had the New York Mets.Ever since he tore up a knee during a postgame celebration of a Puerto Rico win at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the New York Mets closer had been coddled. He missed an entire season and had to rebuild his skill and stamina.With the Mets fighting for a playoff berth and the regular season about to start its final week, manager Carlos Mendoza brought in the 30-year-old right-hander to start the eighth inning against the top of the Philadelphia Phillies’ batting order on Sunday night. And then he left in Díaz to pitch the ninth.“We’ve been protecting him the whole year and now it’s big boys time,” Mendoza said.Díaz stranded Trea Turner at third when Alec Bohm grounded out in the eighth and Bryson Stott at third when Kody Clemens struck out in the ninth, preserving a 2-1 win. Díaz’s second career six-out save was his first since Aug. 4, 2022.”What we’ve seen lately with him, he’s just 2022,” Mendoza said.A Mets team six games back of a wild card on May 29 after a 22-33 start surged into the second NL wild card on a tiebreaker over Arizona. The Mets are two games ahead of the Braves heading into a three-game series at Atlanta starting Tuesday.“I’ve been throwing the fastball the way I want to. My slider is coming on really good,” Díaz said. “Early in the season, I wasn’t playing the way that everyone was expecting. Now I’m coming out and closing games. When they give me the ball, I’m doing my job.”A two-time All-Star, Díaz has 20 saves in 26 chances and six in a row since allowing Corbin Carroll’s ei …
