Four months ago, a live rendition of Timmy Trumpet’s “Narco” at Dodger Stadium seemed like a long shot.
Closer Edwin Díaz was expected to sign a long-term deal with the Mets, keeping his signature walk-in music in New York. Then the Mets signed closer Devin Williams — still insisting, however, that they were interested in retaining Díaz.
The Dodgers, who had checked in early despite not having much hope, saw their opening. They re-engaged.
“Through that weekend leading into the winter meetings, felt like the chances were increased, but still pretty unlikely,” said Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations, in a conversation with The Times before the season. “And it wasn’t until that Monday night where I felt like, oh, we actually do have a real chance. Now, let’s be strategic about how to try to get him to agree.”
All that, and a three-year contract worth $69 million, led to back-to-back nights of trumpets and saves over the weekend at Dodger Stadium, as the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks.
“I was surprised a little bit,” Díaz said Friday, after his first save as a Dodger. “I heard a trumpet sounding before I was coming out. I said, ‘No way, they got a live trumpet.’ It was pretty fun. I enjoyed it, and I know fans enjoyed it, too.”
The Dodgers put their own spin on it. At Citi Field, as Díaz had already walked out to a live rendition of the song performed by Timmy Trumpet.
The Dodgers called in Tatiana Tate, a Long Beach-based trumpet player, band leader and composer, to do the honors.
Tatiana Tate plays the trumpet as Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz takes the mound during the Dodgers’ win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)
“She needs to be there every night,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Hopefully, she’ll be there on Monday. She’s legit.”
Mets fans turned to social media to express a range of emotions, from unsettled to grieving, as clips of the performance spread across the internet. But Díaz said it didn’t feel weird to hear the song in another stadium.
“I’m here,” he said. “So my goal is to help this team to win. I was in New York, but now I’m here.
“I’m enjoying the time with this team. We’ve got a really good team. I just know I’ve got to keep doing my job and hear the trumpets here in Dodger Stadium.”
Although Díaz’s entrances have garnered much attention, what he achieved on the mound was more important.
Díaz anchored a bullpen that threw 11⅔ shutout innings against Arizona. Díaz didn’t give up a hit. In two games, he allowed just one base runner, on a walk.
Edwin Díaz walks out of the bullpen to make his regular-season debut for the Dodgers during a win over the Diamondbacks on Friday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s just great to have one of, if not the best closer in the game,” Roberts said. “And you can see the anticipation with the fans.”
It’s a much different kind of anticipation than last season, when the Dodgers bullpen ranked among the bottom 10 teams in the majors with a 4.27 earned-run average.
The Dodgers didn’t go into the offseason determined to add the top free-agent reliever available, not after signing Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72-million deal the previous winter. But by seizing an opportunity, they shored up the shakiest part of their roster.
“It’s more of what it does to the opponent,” Roberts said. “When you have him looming, and then you take the lead, you have that feeling. I’ve been on the other side of that. You feel like the game’s over. So to have him on our side, it’s huge. And obviously, on our side, we feel very confident.”
How could they not?
“When he’s coming into the game, we feel pretty good about it,” shortstop Mookie Betts said Friday. “Then you see the trumpet over there, I think he felt even better.”