ATLANTA – Mets’ Pitching and Power Shine Against Braves

Recently, one of the Mets’ starting pitchers might have inadvertently shared some valuable insights with his teammates.

Here’s a notable fact: lasting more than six innings isn’t a bad thing.

On Saturday, Clay Holmes delivered a solid performance, building on the momentum from rookie Nolan McLean’s outing the previous night.

Holmes’ outing marked the second time this season a Mets starting pitcher went seven innings, and while that’s not a record, it certainly stands out given the challenges the rotation has faced this year.

With his deepest start in nearly three months, Holmes led the Mets to a 9-2 victory over the Braves at Trust Park, marking the team’s fifth win in their last seven games.

Powering the Mets’ offense were six home runs, two each from Mark Bientos and Jeff McNeill, along with solo shots from Pete Alonso and Sterling Marte.

Three of those home runs came in the seventh inning, extending their narrow one-run advantage.

In total, the Mets have hit 29 home runs over their past 11 games.

As a result, the Mets remain six games behind first-place Philadelphia in the NL East. They started the night with a 1.5-game lead over Cincinnati, who was playing later against Arizona for the final wildcard spot in the National League.

Before McLean’s stellar seven-inning performance on Friday, Holmes had been the last Mets pitcher, aside from David Peterson, to complete six innings, which took place back on June 7.

Overall, Holmes went 6 1/3 innings, giving up two runs while striking out four batters and allowing three hits on top of two walks.

Marte played a crucial role in support, both offensively and defensively. The 36-year-old outfielder stole two bases and made an impressive play to prevent a run at the plate.

McNeill returned to action after missing two games due to shoulder discomfort, making a significant impact with a three-run homer in the third inning that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead.

McNeill crushed a first-pitch cutter from Cal Quantrill, sending it just inside the right-field foul pole for his 11th home run of the season.

Francisco Lindor set the stage with a leadoff single, and after a double steal, Quantrill was able to retire Alonso but walked Vientos, which led to McNeill’s big hit.

Meanwhile, Marte’s arm helped to keep the Braves from scoring later in the game, as he threw out a runner trying to score on a fly ball.

There was a bit of a scare on the Mets’ side when Brandon Nimmo experienced a stiff neck and was sidelined, but Nail Alvarez made a great play to secure the final out.

Holmes started the fourth inning by walking both Matt Olson and Ronald Acuña Jr., leading to their runs crossing home plate. The Braves effectively challenged a call to have Acuña ruled safe, keeping the momentum on their side.

In response, a lucky bounce allowed the Braves to cut the Mets’ lead to 3-2 with a run-scoring play.

However, Holmes regained his footing, with a spectacular dive from Tyrone Taylor ending the inning without further damage.

In the seventh, Alonso and Vientos struck again, pushing the lead to 6-2. Alonso’s home run was particularly notable for its power, marking his 29th of the season.

Vientos joined the display with his tenth home run, adding another layer to the Mets’ offensive assault.

After McNeill’s third homer, Vientos sealed his impressive night with a deep shot in the ninth, making it four homers in his last six games, further underscoring the team’s offensive prowess.