Clay Holmes Ends First Full Regular Season As A Starter Superbly

Clay Holmes picked the perfect time to have arguably his best start of the year, tossing six scoreless innings of one-hit ball to ensure that the New York Mets have something to play for on the final day of the regular season.

“He was just attacking the zone,” Pete Alonso said after the 5-0 victory in Miami. “I mean he was unbelievable. Unbelievable at executing pitches. He had a couple guys on base and then he worked out of it flawlessly. He just commanded the ball really well, attacked, and let the defense go to work. It was a phenomenal, phenomenal start by him. His ball, it was moving all over the place.”

“It’s a must-win game,” Holmes said. “I think at any point, whether it’s the World Series or the second-to-last game of the regular season, those games mean a lot. And you can definitely feel that.”

Manager Carlos Mendoza said he stuck with Holmes longer than he expected because he was pitching so well. He threw 46 of 78 pitches for strikes, struck out two and induced 11 groundouts, often with an effective sinker.

“With how good he was throwing the ball, it was hard to take him out,” the manager said. “But we knew that somewhere between 65, 70 pitches, you know, maybe twice through the lineup. But I’m watching the game right there and man he was pretty solid. I think I gave him an extra inning and I’m glad it worked.”

Holmes finishes a regular season where he transitioned from the bullpen at 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 31 starts. He struck out 129 in 165 2/3 innings pitched, more than doubling his previous career high in innings pitched of 70. He was ninth in the National League in ERA.

“For him to continue to take the baseball, not an easy transition,” Mendoza said. “When you are looking at the innings, compared to where he was career-wise, and for him to be feeling this good this time of the year and how much we use him, it says a lot about him and the work that he put in. Not only in the offseason, but through the season.”

Holmes’ excellent work was also eerie.

In 2007 and 2008, the Mets lost two of three to the Marlins to miss the playoffs on the final weekend of the regular season. In both years, New York lost Friday, won Saturday behind a great pitching performance, and then lost Sunday.

In 2007, John Maine struck out 14 over 7 2/3 innings. In 2008, Johan Santana fired a three-hit shutout and fanned nine. The Maine game, like Holmes’, was also a combined one-hit shutout. The Santana game was exactly 17 years ago Saturday.

The Mets, of course, hope that Sunday’s game doesn’t follow the pattern of 2007 and 2008.

“Once we finish the job and get in the playoffs, it will be a little bit more satisfying,” Holmes said of his outing. Added Mendoza: “I’m hoping this is not the last time we see him pitch this year.”

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