Clay Holmes Struggles to Perform

It seems Clay Holmes has hit a rough patch.

This struggle comes at an unfortunate time for the Mets, who still have several challenges ahead.

Holmes had a disappointing outing that nearly overshadowed Pete Alonso’s remarkable achievement during the Mets’ 13-5 win in Atlanta. Alonso made history by hitting the franchise’s 253rd home run, but Holmes faltered, allowing four runs in the fourth inning, which turned a 5-1 lead into a troubling situation for the team.

“He had difficulty getting his sinker over for strikes. It looked like he lost control of his arm,” said Carlos Mendoza. “We should have noticed sooner that he was missing his target and perhaps switched to his cutter.”

Holmes’ performance included six hits allowed and five walks over just 3⅔ innings.

Mendoza doesn’t seem inclined to stick with Holmes, particularly as Frankie Montas isn’t available either. “When you’re out there at night, it raises a lot of questions. But he completed five innings with an efficiency of 75 pitches,” Mendoza noted. “We’re monitoring the situation closely, making sure we’re not overlooking anything. He’s an essential part of this team.”

With players like Nolan McLean and Brandon Sprout waiting, Holmes faced boos from the crowd after his exit, adding to the pressure surrounding him. Unfortunately, he has been struggling this season, with a 5.10 ERA that includes 27 walks and 33 strikeouts over his last ten starts.

Holmes, who was once a reliable player, hasn’t gone beyond 70 innings in his career prior to this season.

Despite the challenges, Holmes attributed his issues to pitch selection rather than fatigue. “The sinker was effective; I recorded some ground balls. In those moments, I need to keep my faith in it. I felt I started improving but faced counts I shouldn’t have,” he admitted. “In retrospect, I should have continued trusting my pitches. If they want to hit five singles, that’s fine, but I can’t put myself in a bad count.”