Port St. Lucy was the four major startes Clay Holmes made – the first four and the final four. It was 2018. He was a newcomer:
1. Joe Musgrove, Gerrit Cole's important return in offseason trade from Pittsburgh to Houston, developed Right Finger Infection. So Holmes had to fly to Los Angeles to launch independence Day against the NL's best offense. The Dodgers beat Holmes on four runs in three innings, then he was then sent one of the six of that season to the looters of High A Bradenton.
2. Holmes was summoned to start the July 14th double-header nightcap with the NL center-leading David Stearns Brewers. Holmes delivered six shutout innings in the middle of a five-game sweep in Milwaukee, which was part of an 11-game pirate victory. Pittsburgh took part in the race and motivated one of the worst deals in franchise history: Tyler Glasnow, Shane Buzz and Austin Meadows, to Chris Archer's rays. Holmes' reward? He was selected again.
3. He returned on August 10th and offered a spot start breather for the rest of the rotation. The Pirates' playoff pursuit has led to widespread criticism in Pittsburgh for not doing what they best. And that was before Holmes was locked up by the Giants with seven runs in 2²/₃ innings. It essentially became the iconic trigger of 10 losses in 13 games that ended wildcard dreams. And yes, Holmes was quickly selected again.
