SAN DIEGO — The Mets acquired a ground-ball reliever just as their ground-ball reliever-turned-starter took the mound for his Wednesday afternoon outing against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
Maybe the solution to the bullpen was there all along.
Right-hander Clay Holmes gave up four runs (two earned) in only 3 2/3 innings in a 5-0 loss. San Diego swept the three-game series and exposed nearly every one of the Mets’ weaknesses in the process.
Yu Darvish (1-3) allowed only two hits over seven shutout innings. Mark Vientos was the only hitter in the top half of the Mets lineup to record a hit, doing so in the first inning. The next hit came in the top of the fifth from Ronny Mauricio, a single to right field. The Mets might have been without Juan Soto, who was sidelined with a right foot contusion, but all week the Padres’ pitching staff has quieted the Mets’ big four of Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Soto and Pete Alonso.
Right-handed reliever Tyler Rogers was acquired around the start of the game from the San Francisco Giants. The Mets sent right-handed reliever Jose Butto back in the deal, as well as right-handed Triple-A starter Blade Tidwell and Triple-A outfielder Drew Gilbert. The timing of the trade was extremely Mets-like, considering Holmes loaded the bases in the first inning.
Holmes got the first two outs in the second inning but loaded the bases once again. Manny Machado hit a two-run single to put the Mets in a 2-0 hole.
With two outs in the third, Lindor’s throw to first base was too short to make the out, allowing former Mets infielder Jose Iglesias to reach safely on the error. Gavin Sheets then took Holmes deep to right-center field, doubling the San Diego lead.
Holmes gave up back-to-back singles before getting out of the inning. Reed Garrett was warming up in the bullpen but the Mets needed at least a little length from Holmes. Again, Holmes retired the first two hitters of the inning, but gave up a single to Xander Bogaerts and hit Jake Cronenworth. That was it for Holmes (9-6), who was lifted after two earned runs on eight hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
He threw 79 pitches, fewer than what the Mets usually let him throw, but far too many in 3 2/3 innings. The Mets don’t like answering questions about a potential bullpen move for Holmes. A few of his more recent ones have been good, with a win to start the six-game trip in San Francisco on Friday night.
Still, he hasn’t had a quality start in nearly two months (June 7 in Colorado), and he hasn’t pitched more than 5 1/3 innings in that same time span. It’s crucial the Mets get length out of their starters in August and September, and the only one the team can currently count on for that is left-hander David Peterson. Putting Holmes in the bullpen as a long man and acquiring a starting pitcher would make sense for the Mets, but the club still seems to view him as a starter.
However, the entire starting staff could benefit from more offensive production. The Padres (60-49) outscored the Mets 19-7 this week. The offense continues to sputter, with run production inconsistent at best.
The trade deadline is set for 6 p.m. ET on Thursday. A lot can happen in the next 24 hours, and if the Mets need to know what to fix, they only need to refer back to this series to find out.
Originally Published:
