Ottavino struck out two in a perfect eighth inning Sunday to record his 10th hold of the season in a loss to the Diamondbacks.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza deployed Reed Garrett in the seventh inning and Ottavino in the eighth to protect a 4-3 lead to great effect, but Jake Diekman then blew the save in the ninth. The pecking order for saves in the absence of Edwin Diaz (shoulder) remains murky, but all three pitchers could see chances depending on the matchups. Ottavino hasn't made much of a case to claim the full-time closer gig -- since the beginning of May, he's stumbled to an 8.49 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 14:7 K:BB through 11.2 innings.