Familia looking for a different ‘wild’ ending
Jeurys Familia is no stranger to pitching in wild-card games in New York.
He’s hoping the second time around goes better than the first.
The former Mets closer has changed teams and the city he calls home — now part of the A’s lockdown bullpen set to face the Yankees Wednesday night — but his 2016 wild-card experience at Citi Field has not been forgotten.
“I remember everything,” Familia said in the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. “It’s tough to forget a game like that.”
The Mets and Giants were locked in a pitchers’ duel for eight innings in the NL wild-card game that year, with Madison Bumgarner and Noah Syndergaard trading zeroes all night. But when Familia came on to pitch the ninth of a 0-0 game, it fell apart. He gave up a leadoff double, got a strikeout, walked a batter and then gave up a three-run home run to No. 8 hitter Conor Gillaspie as the Mets lost 3-0.
“When you go t hro ugh something and you do it again, you got an idea,” Familia said. “You know it’s way different. I’m prepared for that.”
Familia had fared better in the Mets’ run to the World Series in 2015, when he allowed just one earned run over 14 ²/₃ innings of postseason work, though he also blew Game 1 of the World Series when he surrendered a homer to the Royals’ Alex Gordon.
Now, he’s back in New York for another taste of the playoffs.
“This is one of the cities I’m always going to remember, spending most of my career here,” said Familia, who first came up to the Mets in 2012. “I got a lot of respect for this city. I appreciate a lot the Mets and the fans.”
The Mets traded Familia to the A’s on July 21 for a pair of prospects and international slot money. Going to a contender with an established closer in Blake Treinen, Familia saw his duties change, but has posted a 3.45 ERA in 30 appearances.
“He’s been great,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “It feels like he fit in from Day 1. If you were to be in our clubhouse, you would’ve thought he’s been here all year long. For a guy that’s been a closer, I felt like it might be a difficult conversation I would have to have with him, pitching in a non-closing role, and he made it easy on me.”
Familia said he doesn’t mind pitching in different innings. He just wants to win.
“We got special guys,” he said. “Everybody does his part. For me, it’s one of the best bullpens I’ve been in in the big leagues.”