Home runs and quality starting pitching typically lead to wins. And the last couple games, the Mets have gotten exactly that.

After Nolan McLean pitched seven innings and led the Mets to a 12-7 win, Clay Holmes did his best impression of the rookie.

Clay Holmes (35)
Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Holmes went 6 1/3 innings deep against the Braves, striking out four batters and allowing two earned runs. He lowered his season ERA to 3.60 while providing the Mets with six innings of work for the first time since June 7.

He ran into some trouble in the third and fourth innings, allowing back-to-back runners in scoring position and leaving many to wonder if Saturday would be another instance of an early hook for the reliever turned starter.

But in the third, he stranded Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Vidal Bruján on the corners via an outfield assist from Starling Marte, and then navigated out of a base-loaded, nobody-out jam in the fourth by retiring the next three batters while only allowing two runs.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was more than plenty for Holmes. In his last 12 starts, Holmes had failed to record six innings, and in four of those he’d gone less than five. Saturday was a massive step in the right direction.

It also helped that Holmes was backed by a home run hitting offense. The first big blow came off the bat of Jeff McNeil in the third. Facing Cal Quantrill, McNeil launched a first-pitch cutter 420 feet down the left field line that barely stayed fair to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.

The three runs turned out to be enough for the Mets that night, but that didn’t stop them from launching longballs all night. Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to extend the Mets’ lead to 5-2, Mark Vientos clubbed a 414-foot shot in the very next at-bat, then Marte went into the seats with his own solo shot two batters later.

When the barrage was over in the seventh, the Mets led 7-2. It provided enough space for Carlos Mendoza to let Holmes test the waters in the seventh, then hand the ball over to Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers, and Edwin Díaz to finish the game.

The Mets also clubbed two more homers in the ninth, again off the bats of Vientos and McNeil. It was McNeil’s second two-homer game this season, with the last coming on June 8 against the Rockies. And for Vientos, it was a positive sign for the struggling third baseman. He’s now clubbed four homers this month, but came into tonight batting .222 with a .689 OPS in August.

Overall, the Mets clubbed six homers in Saturday’s 9-2 win. It marked the fourth time the Mets have hit six homers in one game, with the last coming August 12 also against the Braves.

Saturday’s victory solidified a critical series win for the Mets. The club gained a game on the Phillies Friday, and Saturday’s win kept them six behind Philadelphia with 35 games left to play. They’ll get a chance for a series sweep Sunday, which would hand them their first series sweep since July 25-27 against the Giants.

Player of the Game

Jeff McNeil was the player of the game Saturday. He clubbed two homers and finished the night 2-for-5 with four RBIs. McNeil’s first homer gave the Mets a 3-0 lead, and his second extended the Mets’ lead to 8-2.

On Deck 

The Mets will go for the sweep over the Braves Sunday at 1:35 PM. David Peterson will toe the rubber for the Mets and will be opposed by righty Bryce Elder. The game will be televised on WPIX and the radio broadcast can be found on WHSQ 880 AM.