Rico Garcia — a Yankee a few days ago — comes up big in Mets’ win
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Who needs the trade deadline when you have the waiver wire?

After a day filled with numerous transactions affecting their bullpen, the Mets managed another remarkable showing from a group of relievers that has been plagued by injuries and frequent use.

Frankie Montas provided the Mets with 5 ²/₃ innings in their 3-2 victory over the Angels on Tuesday at Citi Field. Despite this, the Mets bullpen was required to handle a substantial number of innings for the second consecutive game.

Even though everyone in the sport, particularly president of baseball operations David Stearns, knows the team requires enhancements in that aspect, the Mets received the necessary contributions from some unforeseen sources.

On Tuesday, it started with a key scoreless inning from right-hander Rico Garcia, who has spent the past week bouncing between the Mets and the Yankees.

“There’s been a lot of traveling, for sure,” Garcia said. “I’m trying to find my place and do whatever the team needs me to do.”

Whatever team that is.

He was designated for assignment when the Mets were in Kansas City and went home to Hawaii for the All-Star break.



Garcia was then claimed by the Yankees on Monday during the break, flew to Atlanta on Wednesday, pitched for the Yankees in Atlanta on Friday — his lone poor outing of his four in the majors this year — was waived by the Yankees and claimed by the Mets and flew to New York on Monday before being activated for Tuesday’s game.

“You’ve just power through it,” Garcia said of the whirlwind. “You can’t think about it too much because then you start looking for excuses. They don’t care about excuses. They just want results. I do what I can.”

The 31-year-old entered with a runner on first and two outs in a one-run game in the top of the sixth and got Luis Rengifo to ground into a force-out to end the inning.

He pitched around a one-out single by Nolan Schanuel and a wild pitch in the seventh, getting Zach Neto and Mike Trout swinging before Reed Garrett finished the inning.

And Ryne Stanek closed it with Edwin Díaz unavailable after pitching on consecutive days.

Garcia’s performance aided a pen that will undoubtedly have some significant additions by the July 31 trade deadline, but first saved the Mets with six innings of one-run ball after Kodai Senga lasted just three innings in Monday’s win.

On that night, Carlos Mendoza went to the just-arrived Kevin Herget after removing Senga and the right-hander pitched 2 ¹/₃ shutout frames before Chris Devenski allowed a run in the seventh.

Herget, whose contract had just been purchased from Triple-A Syracuse, was optioned back to the minors after the game, while Devenski was designated for assignment.

But for a Mets team in need of wins, they provided some strong innings while they wait for reinforcements.

“Guys are gonna walk through those doors and continue to get opportunities and step up,” Mendoza said. “To get it back-to-back nights is huge.”

“It’s just about being ready,’’ Garcia said.

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