Clay Holmes is starting to get into a groove.
The big right-hander took the mound in the Mets’ series-opening win over the Twins on Monday, putting together his strongest outing of the season to this point with eight strikeouts across five innings of one-run, two-hit ball.
“He was pretty nasty today,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
As was the case during his last outing against the Marlins, Holmes was in control from the get-go, as he retired all but one batter while striking out six in his first time through the order.
Things weren’t as easy from there, but he still did well to limit the damage.
Matt Wallner was the second baserunner to reach against Holmes on Monday when he laced a two-out triple off the right field wall, but a Carlos Correa lineout helped Holmes quickly dance out of danger.
He lost command of the strike zone a bit in the fifth, as two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with nobody out. But he was once again able to bear down and escape the threat with just one run allowed on a sacrifice fly.
Holmes finished the outing with his third strikeout of star outfielder Byron Buxton.
“He was really, really good,” Mendoza said of Holmes. “Even when he lost it, he kept making pitches. He kept finding a way to get back and limited the damage. He gave us a chance and then he ended up getting the win.”
While Holmes hasn’t been working deep into games early in his transition to the rotation, he has been very effective, pitching to a 3.66 ERA through four starts while recording six or more strikeouts in each of his last three.
And yet again on Monday, the Mets’ bullpen did their job stepping up behind him. Huascar Brazoban put together two hitless innings, Reed Garrett struck out two in a scoreless eighth, and Ryne Stanek closed out the ninth.
With the offense still not clicking at 100 percent, the pitching continues to lead the way.
“They’ve been doing a really good job,” Juan Soto said. “The bullpen has been great and our starters have been setting the table for the bullpen. So I think we are in good shape right now.”
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