ST. LOUIS — A Challenging Start for Clay Holmes

Clay Holmes was nearing the end of the sixth inning in his first start of the season when he tossed a cutter that didn’t quite hit the mark. Nolan Gorman responded by sending the ball over the right field fence, which prompted manager Carlos Mendoza to head out from the dugout to pull Holmes from the game.

While an extra out could have proved beneficial, the Mets managed to secure a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, marking a solid performance as the starting pitcher for the third straight game.

Holmes, who previously energized the Mets during Game 161 in Miami last season, aimed to continue that momentum in 2025. On this particular night, the right-hander allowed 2 earned runs on 4 hits, struck out 5 batters, and walked 3, throwing a total of 90 pitches before his exit.

“I felt great,” said Holmes.

After two days of extra innings, the Mets (3 wins, 1 loss) finished the game in the 9th. They had previously split with the Pirates while witnessing solid outings from David Peterson and Nolan McLean.

A change in the rotation will occur on Wednesday with Freddy Peralta making his comeback after a rough season opener. Meanwhile, Kodai Chiga is set to make his debut this season. The Japanese right-hander is starting to regain his consistency following a challenging second half last season.

Holmes relied heavily on his sinker, achieving nine outs. Despite some early jitters, he found his rhythm, retiring seven batters in a row before Gorman’s home run interrupted his flow. “I was a bit excited at first since it was my initial game of the year,” Holmes reflected. “A few of my sinkers were rising a bit; I had to work through some long counts to settle down.”

Tobias Myers delivered a perfect 1¹/₃ innings in relief, notching three strikeouts, and Brooks Lally pitched eight scoreless innings. Devin Williams secured his first save for the Mets with a flawless ninth inning.

Bo Bichette contributed two RBIs, while Jorge Polanco and Carson Benge each added two hits. Juan Soto reached base three times during the game.

“He maintained a good approach and allowed them to make their plays,” Mendoza commented. “We had several fouled pitches and made solid contact. Our lineup has guys who can put the ball in play.”

The Mets kicked off their scoring with a triple by Francisco Lindor, followed by an RBI from Bichette. This marked Bichette’s second RBI of the season, a notable turnaround given he faced boos after a rough start to the homestand. He expressed, “I think I just wanted to find my groove and compete. I felt better today, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.”

The Cardinals countered with an RBI single by Alec Burleson in the bottom of the first inning. A balk by Holmes allowed JJ Weatherholt to advance, helping set up Burleson’s hit.

In the third inning, Burleson’s two-out double along with Macyn Wynn’s walk created a threat for the Cardinals, yet Holmes managed to retire Gorman and escape unscathed. In the fourth, Holmes initiated a double play to end the inning.

Bichette’s RBI single in the fifth inning gave the Mets a 2-1 lead against Kyle Leahy. A leadoff single by Benji, coupled with a walk to Lindor, sparked the rally. Bichette added another RBI as well.

Jared Young’s RBI double in the sixth forced Leahy out of the game and extended the Mets’ lead to 3-1. Brett Batty initiated the inning with a single, followed by Young’s double, marking consecutive hits for the Mets for the first time.

With Francisco Alvarez walking and Lindor getting hit while the bases were loaded, Soto walked too, bringing the Mets’ advantage to 4-1 before Bichette ended the inning.

“We had a lot of opportunities today, and I was pleased with our at-bats,” Mendoza concluded.