Clay Holmes likely would not have been the guy many would have thought would be leading the National League in ERA on May 10.
Of Mets pitchers, the first guess would have been Freddy Peralta (3.12 ERA) and then maybe Nolan McLean (2.78), but after his eighth consecutive start of allowing two earned runs or fewer Holmes’ ERA leads the NL at 1.86. He’s been so good that giving up two runs in 5 2/3 innings in the 2-1 loss to the Diamondbacks on Saturday made his ERA rise.
The last time he gave up more than two earned runs in a game was on September 10. He is tied for fifth in the NL in innings pitched (48 1/3), ninth in WHIP (1.01), and 10th in batting-average against (.190). What is the 33-year-old’s secret?
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“Just being able to limit damage, that’s what I do with kind of my repertoire, I’ve been able to limit damage and when I’m in the zone and don’t give free passes then I set myself up for success,” Holmes told the media. “In between the sinker and changeup, curveball, the sweeper, just able to get outs on the ground and really limit the damage. It helps me kind of go deeper in games and just try to give the team the best chance to win.”
Holmes entered Saturday in the 93rd percentile for ground ball percentage, per Baseball Savant. He had thrown his sinker 50 percent of the time, followed by the sweeper (17 percent), change (15 percent), curve (9 percent) and cutter (eight percent).
Unfortunately, for Holmes, a couple of ground balls found holes in the third inning. The first was a base hit by Corbin Carroll. The second was a two-out, bases-loaded single by Ildemaro Vargas that was just out of the reach of a diving Bo Bichette. It plated two runs and the Mets (15-24) never recovered.
Holmes (4-3) gave up five hits, walked two, struck out six and threw 64 of 103 pitches for strikes.
“I thought he was very good even though they put together some really good at-bats,” Carlos Mendoza said. “He gave us a chance and another solid outing from him.”
