Edwin Díaz walked into the sixth inning of Game 2 with the Dodgers trailing Atlanta 2-1, and walked out having changed nothing on the scoreboard — zero runs, zero hits, two strikeouts in three batters faced. His postseason debut with Los Angeles lasted just one-third of an inning. It was enough to remind everyone what Díaz looks like when he’s right. The problem: the Dodgers still lost, 3-2.
A brutal season, one inning to start over
There’s context that makes that inning carry more weight than a box score suggests. Díaz signed with the Dodgers in the offseason on a 3-year, $69 million deal, and what followed was a nightmare: right elbow surgery in April, a neck inflammation that sent him to the IL in August, and an ERA of 8.68 in 21 appearances during the regular season. Not exactly the debut campaign he had in mind.
But Dave Roberts never wrote him off. Instead of naming a single closer for the NLDS, the Dodgers manager identified four high-leverage relievers for the late innings: Tanner Scott, Evan Phillips, Roki Sasaki, and Edwin Díaz. The Puerto Rican righty had to earn that spot with his September work — and he did.
Game 2’s sixth inning was his first real October audition. Three Braves hitters. Two strikeouts. No damage. According to Baseball Savant, Díaz averages 96.5 mph on his fastball with 2,332 rpm of spin — velocity that ranks in the 82nd percentile league-wide — and that arm showed up against Atlanta.
A clean inning that didn’t save the game — but might help save the series
The Dodgers dropped Game 2 by a 3-2 score. Atlanta won it with a five-man bullpen game — Ray Kerr, Grant Holmes, Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez, and Didier Fuentes — that shut LA down in the late innings. The series is now tied 1-1, heading to Truist Park for Game 3.
Díaz’s inning didn’t change the outcome, but it sent a message to the Braves: there’s an arm in that bullpen that, when it’s on, is one of the toughest outs in the game. His previous postseason résumé — all with the Mets — shows exactly that: 9 appearances, 11.2 innings, a 2.31 ERA, and 2 saves. The October version of Díaz is not the same pitcher who struggled through the regular season.
There’s also a bigger backdrop here. This is the sixth time these two franchises have met in the postseason, tying the record for most frequent playoff matchups in the National League. And the Dodgers are chasing something no team has done in 26 years: a third consecutive World Series title, a feat last accomplished by the Yankees from 1998 to 2000.
The numbers behind the name
Díaz’s 2026 ERA looks worse than how he actually pitched. Here’s the full picture:
- 21 games, 18.2 innings pitched in 2026
- ERA: 8.68 · WHIP: 1.98
- 28 strikeouts vs. 11 walks (29.2% strikeout rate)
- 7 saves
- xERA: 4.60 — what his ERA should have been based on contact quality allowed
- Fastball: 96.5 mph, 2,332 rpm — 82nd percentile in MLB
- Whiff rate: 24.9% of swings against him
- Opponents batting .321 against him
- Exit velocity allowed: 90.7 mph
- Barrel rate allowed: 7.5%
The Statcast fingerprint is still that of a high-end arm. The ERA told one story; the underlying numbers tell another. And in October, it’s the stuff on the radar gun that tends to have the final word.
