With Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Guardians, the Mets have lost seven of their last eight games dating back to July 28. The team's starting pitchers, with the exception of David Peterson, have all failed to make it through the sixth inning during that stretch.
Overall, the last Mets pitcher not named Peterson to complete six innings was Clay Holmes on June 7.
That streak continued Tuesday as manager Carlos Mendoza pulled Holmes after just 75 pitches through five innings in a 2-2 game. Holmes retired the first nine Guardians he faced, but let up three hits and two runs in the fourth inning, before bouncing back for another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth. RHP Tyler Rogers eventually let up the go-ahead run in the seventh as New York would lose its third straight contest.
After the game, Mendoza defended the decision to go to the bullpen when he did.
"Yeah, I mean we're set up bullpen-wise there third time through," Mendoza said. "He was really good the first time through the lineup and then we saw the second time, that fourth inning, they gave him a hard time. I knew I was going to be aggressive there. The game's tied and we were set up with our bullpen guys, and we got the matchups we wanted. He did his part, he did his job."
When asked if he would have been able to pitch the sixth inning, as it appeared he had enough in the tank to do so, Holmes said he felt good but understood Mendoza's decision.
"Yeah, I mean I was feeling good, obviously it's not really my call," Holmes said. "All things considered, he felt like it was best to go to the pen there. Yeah, I was feeling good, felt like I was still able to throw the sinker down and getting outs with it.
"Just one of those things when you're in a pennant race and you have a bullpen like we do, and games are really close, there's going to be some of those decisions where everything's not really in your control. He made the decision what he thought was best, best for the team, best for the win. I said, 'Everything's not really in your control.' It's really what's best for the team there."
The right-hander said he didn't plead his case to go back out for the sixth inning, trusting the manager's move.
"No, I mean he seemed pretty confident in what he wanted to do. It was his decision," Holmes added.
Holmes is now up to a career-high 122.1 IP on the season, his first as a full-time starting pitcher. His previous career high for innings pitched came in 2021 when he threw 70.0 IP between the Pirates and Yankees. He's thrown 63.2, 63.0, and 63.0 innings in each of the past three seasons with the Yanks. The righty knows he's reaching a point where the team needs to be careful and think about the long-term implications.
"I'm feeling good," Holmes said. "Up to this point in the season, this amount of innings, I'm really kind of encouraged where I'm at. But at the same time, you can't totally be shortsighted and just totally go off how I may be feeling now. It's a really hard thing to do, just go out and triple your innings.
"Especially, like I said, we're in a pennant race and we plan to be playing in October. We all need to be our best down the stretch. Just to run full speed right now when we need to be our best down the stretch, there's more things to take into consideration. The reality of it is, yeah, my innings are getting up there. We just want to keep me feeling good. Right now, I feel like I'm in a good spot, bouncing back well. There's still more to take into account than right now."
Mendoza went with Gregory Soto first out of the bullpen, before turning to Rogers in the seventh. The trade deadline acquisition had been solid in his two previous outings with the team, but he gave up his first run as a Met and it proved to be the deciding factor.
"Yeah, I mean he's a ground ball guy and a couple of ground balls found holes," Mendoza said. "Gets two outs and then before you know it, ground ball gets through the other way, bloop single, and then the ball up the middle. That's exactly what Rogers is, gonna get ground balls from lefties and righties, and today they found holes."
New York will turn back to Peterson in the series finale against the Guardians on Wednesday, needing a strong outing from a starting pitcher and some help from the offense to end their slump.
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