Wednesday was an up-and-down affair for the Mets in Miami, but it could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for RHP Huascar Brazobán.
After Pete Alonso's late home run tied the game at 4-4, the game went into extra innings where the Mets took a 6-4 lead in the 11th. Manager Carlos Mendoza went with LHP Danny Young to close out the game after the Mets skipper had already used Edwin Diaz and their other high-leverage relievers to keep the game close enough for the offense to tie the game.
However, while Mendoza's strategy worked he was left using Young, who is one of his weakest arms out of the pen. Entering Wednesday, Young had already allowed two runs on four hits and one walk in two innings of work, and those struggles continued.
The 30-year-old allowed a leadoff single to Xavier Edwards and then walked Kyle Stowers. Young did strike out Griffin Conine to get the first out, but Mendoza had seen enough and after the requisite three batters, the skipper called on Brazoban.
"It was his game," Mendoza said of Brazoban after the game before pointing out he had no more arms left in the bullpen after his right-hander.
Brazoban rewarded Mendoza with a dominant two outs. He got Jonah Bride to fly out to right and then struck out Otto Lopez on four pitches to complete the Mets' comeback.
"Feels good to be able to get the save but to also get it against a former team," Brazobán said through an interpreter after the game. "My goal was to save the game and that’s what we did."
Brazobán spent his first two-plus seasons with the Marlins before being traded to the Mets in July last year. Entering Wednesday, Brazobán made 118 big league appearances. He's had 14 save opportunities in that time but never came away with the save until Wednesday, in the city where his career started.
"Huge, huge. Not only saving the bullpen the last two outings but with runners on came in threw strikes, got the fly ball and then the last out," Mendoza said of Brazobán's performance. "Pretty impressive for him coming out of the bullpen."
Wednesday was just another notch in what has been a great start for the right-hander. So far in 2025, Brazobán has only allowed two hits while walking one batter in 5.0 innings pitched. Oh, and he hasn't allowed a run while striking out five batters.
When asked why he's having so much success early on, the Dominican Republic native said it starts with the routine he implemented this offseason.
"From the preparation starting in the offseason back home," he explained. "Being able to do what I want, practice the way that I want, execute the way that I had. Continue to attack the hitters and that’s why we’ve had so much success this season."
Brazobán said that he remained engaged throughout the game so that he was prepared when Lopez came up in the 11th. He threw four straight sinkers ranging from 96-97 mph and ultimately froze him with a dot in the upper right corner to seal the win.
"I’m the type of player, from the beginning of the game, I’m anticipating different situations. Just watching that hitter from the beginning of the game, he was trying to hit a lot of soft stuff so what I did was attack him with my best pitch, and just try to beat him with the sinker in that situation."
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