Edwin Diaz discusses pressure of closing out Friday's combined Mets no-hitter

It's only April, but four relievers (three unknowingly) had October-type pressure already, as it was their duty to close out the Mets' combined no-hitter on Friday night.

Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez, and Seth Lugo said they actually had no idea a no-hitter was even happening. Only Edwin Diaz realized.

So in reality, all of the pressure was, naturally, on the closer.

And it wasn't just a no-hitter happening -- as Buck Showalter noted, the Phillies were a couple of bloops and a blast away from tying the 3-0 game.

“I knew. I like to watch the scoreboard every tie, because I want to know who I’m facing," said Diaz, who struck out the final three batters. "So I see the three zeroes. So I stay quiet, and I start warming up, and when I get into the game, James told me we’re not using the PitchCom, because it’s gonna be loud. So I said ‘that’s fine, let’s go with the signs.’ Then I started focusing on the game and start pitching.

“When I came in the ninth, I was realizing that we got a no-hitter, but at the same time, you gotta make pitches. Getting to more ‘pitch [mode]' than knowing we got the no-hitter," he added.

Showalter must have only spoken with the first relievers of the night -- he felt the relievers had more pressure clinching the win, rather than clinching the second no-hitter in franchise history.

“I think it was more about the pressure of winning a game and be on top of your game against a very good hitting team regardless of what the scoreboard said with hits…." Showalter said. "That was fun to watch. It was about winning the game....

“I think there was just such a small margin of error with those guys. You’re a walk and a blast from having a tie game very quickly. At this level, everybody’s got pop through the order. You just can’t drop your guard, and I think our guys were more about trying to win a game and the end result we ended up with, I’d felt that same way if it had been a one-hitter. They were good. They were good, they were solid, and it was real. There was a lot of guys carrying good stuff."

Given the pressure Diaz was under, Smith seemed pretty relieved that he pitched without even realizing the Mets could make history.

“That’s why he’s our closer. Glad I pitched the sixth and seventh," he joked. "That takes a special person to go in there with that type of pressure, for sure, and he was able to do it tonight.”