St. Louis – Clay Holmes faced an uphill battle early in the game, but he turned things around on Friday.
The right-handed pitcher struggled in the early innings, giving up three runs before managing to retire 10 of the next 11 batters, helping lead the Mets to a 9-3 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
“It’s a team that plays a lot of ball,” Holmes remarked. “I’m a contact guy, so I just trusted my defense and let them do their thing.”
This season, Holmes, once a reliever, has consistently gone deep into games, even against the Cardinals. His night took a rough turn when he was struck on the ankle by a line drive from Alec Burleson in the second inning.
Holmes had a shaky stretch, where he gave up four singles, allowing the Cardinals to pull ahead 3-2.
Despite that, it was only a single from Wilson Contreras in the sixth inning that marred Holmes’ otherwise solid performance.
“I think their attack put some pressure on me,” Holmes mentioned, reflecting on the team’s response.
In what was a rare double play for the Mets, they also celebrated some personal achievements. Pete Alonso, who went 5-for-2 with a two-run homer in Friday’s game, earned the title of NL Player of the Month for March/April, while Louis Sangeracúnya was recognized as the NL Rookie of the Month.
A curious standout moment for Alonso came with his impressive stats over 31 games, which included a remarkable 1.131 OPS, seven home runs, and 28 RBIs.
Interestingly, Eduardo Escobar was the last Mets player to garner a monthly honor back in September/October 2022.
Acuña stands out, being the first Mets player to earn the Rookie of the Month award since Francisco Alvarez in July 2023.
Looking ahead, Blade Tidwell is slated to make his Major League debut on Sunday. When asked about the progress of Brandon Sproto, the top pitcher at Triple-A Syracuse, manager Carlos Mendoza had some insights.
“He’s a bit inconsistent; maybe the innings will get away from him,” said Mendoza about Sproto. “But the potential is there. It’s part of the development process. He’ll likely get through the lineup two or three times.”
Mendoza also mentioned that AJ Minter is nearing a decision related to the tension in his lat muscle that landed him on the injured list this week. Potential options for him include end-of-season surgery.
Danny Young is seeking a second opinion on his left elbow after being diagnosed with tension, which could lead to Tommy John surgery.
