KANSAS CITY — A year ago, Edwin Diaz might have panicked and melted down in the same situation. But a year older, a year wiser, a year stronger and a year without the World Baseball Classic, Diaz was unfazed, ingoring the drama and closing out the Mariners’ 4-2 win over the Royal .
Given a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, Diaz found himself in trouble immediately when the first hitter of the inning — Paulo Orlando — reached on a fielding error by Jean Segura on a relatively routine groundball.
Diaz didn’t waiver. He retired the next three batters, striking out Jon Jay on a 98 mph fastball to notch his fourth save in four opportunities.