LOS ANGELES -- Facing these Dodgers, it¡¯s always obvious where Shohei Ohtani lurks in the lineup. Teams plan around him. So when Ohtani approached home plate in the eighth inning Saturday as the game¡¯s potential tying run, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza pushed a button he had yet to touch all season: he called on Edwin Díaz before the ninth.

The result was not D¨ªaz¡¯s smoothest effort. But the Mets closer did just enough during the eighth inning of a 6-4 win over the Dodgers, striking out Teoscar Hern¨¢ndez and Max Muncy to strand the bases loaded. That set up Reed Garrett to record his first career save in the ninth at Chavez Ravine.

¡°I thought the game was there in the eighth -- our best guy against their best hitter,¡± Mendoza said.

Although the Mets took the lead for good in the sixth inning on a Starling Marte three-run homer, the game stayed tight, prompting both managers to empty their bullpens. D¨ªaz had not pitched in five days, which feasibly allowed Mendoza to extend him for his first multi-inning appearance since 2022.

While that was in the back of Mendoza¡¯s mind, the manager was more interested in making sure D¨ªaz faced the heart of Los Angeles¡¯ order: Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Hern¨¢ndez.

With one out and Mookie Betts on first base, D¨ªaz entered with a simple plan: pitch carefully to Ohtani and Freeman in hopes of tempting them to offer at pitcher¡¯s pitches. But that didn¡¯t work, as both sluggers walked to load the bases.

At that point, D¨ªaz abandoned finesse, attacking Hern¨¢ndez with sliders over the heart of the plate and hammering Muncy with fastballs. Of note, D¨ªaz¡¯s velocity, which had flagged a bit in his previous appearance, ticked back up in this one. He averaged over 97 mph with his four-seamer and topped out at 98.1.

Relying on both his uptick in velocity and the usual wicked movement on his slider, D¨ªaz struck out both Hern¨¢ndez and Muncy to strand the bases loaded and preserve a two-run lead.

¡°You¡¯re always trusting that he¡¯s going to get out of trouble,¡± Mendoza said. ¡°He¡¯s going to continue to make pitches. And he did that today.¡±

Because D¨ªaz needed 20 pitches to record two outs, Mendoza quickly abandoned any plan to bring him back for the ninth. It helped that the manager has a new trusted bullpen weapon in Garrett, who entered the day leading the Majors in strikeouts as a reliever -- despite spending the start of the season in the Minors. Garrett added to his April legend with three quick strikeouts. He now has a save and three wins in six appearances.

¡°Man, he¡¯s doing amazing,¡± D¨ªaz said. ¡°He stepped in the ninth and struck out the side. That¡¯s really good. I can¡¯t always pitch the ninth. I can come in earlier in the game and do my job, and we¡¯ve got someone like him who can do his job too in the ninth.¡±

The victory was the sixth in a row for the Mets, who have taken 12 of their last 15 and are guaranteed a series win over the Dodgers. On a difficult afternoon that saw the Mets lose starting catcher Francisco Alvarez for the foreseeable future, Mendoza¡¯s bullpen usage ensured the team would at least enjoy the solace of a win.

¡°Unbelievable,¡± said one of Alvarez¡¯s replacements, Tom¨¢s Nido, who caught the final three innings. ¡°I know these guys bring it every day. I¡¯ve been watching from the other side, and I was kind of excited to get back there and keep the ball rolling.¡±