Mets Fall Short Against Nationals

Clay Holmes managed to do his part, but unfortunately, his teammates didn’t quite follow suit on Sunday.

Sean Manaea struggled in the Mets’ 3-2 defeat to the Nationals at Citi Field, particularly in his three-inning outing where he encountered quite a few bumps. He surrendered four hits, with the most damaging being a two-run home run from Nasim Nunez.

“I thought he had decent life on his fastball, but he couldn’t elevate it enough,” coach Carlos Mendoza commented. “Whenever he got into the strike zone, they capitalized on it.”

This performance was a setback for Manaea, especially after showing some promise in his previous relief outing against the Padres on Tuesday. His season has been disappointing overall, marked by a 5.59 ERA after spending a significant chunk on the injured list.

On the other hand, Holmes pitched a scoreless 3⅔ innings, tying his longest relief appearance ever, a role he filled before joining the Mets earlier this season.

“I was able to move my sinker effectively, which is vital,” Holmes shared. “I felt like I was proactive, attacking the batters and generating ground balls.”

Meanwhile, Mendoza has not confirmed the starting rotation past Tuesday, when David Peterson is expected to kick off a three-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

There’s speculation that the combination of Holmes and Manaea could be utilized in any order during the last regular season series in Miami.

Currently, both teams share similar records, with the Mets trailing the Reds for the NL’s final wildcard spot, but Cincinnati holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

“As a player, there’s still a chance to achieve something remarkable,” Holmes expressed. “You can’t focus on the outcome. It’s all about playing your game and leaving everything on the field.”