Sunday, August 17, 2025 • 7:10 PM
Journey Bank Ballpark • Williamsport, PA
RHP George Kirby (8-5, 3.71) vs. RHP Clay Holmes (9-6, 3.71)
ESPN

The New York Mets try to win back-to-back games Sunday tonight as they head to Williamsport for the Little League game.

The Mets are coming off a much needed win Saturday behind Nolan McLean’s dazzling debut. McLean allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings. The bullpen held on to a 1-0 lead that eventually got stretched into a 3-1 win.

Mets Lineup

  1. Francisco Lindor – SS
  2. Juan Soto – RF
  3. Brandon Nimmo – LF
  4. Pete Alonso – 1B
  5. Jeff McNeil – DH
  6. Francisco Alvarez – C
  7. Brett Baty – 2B
  8. Mark Vientos – 3B
  9. Cedric Mullins – CF

Clay Holmes has pitched 126 innings over 24 starts with a 3.71 ERA, 4.20 FIP, 1.349 WHIP, and a 107 ERA+. He’s coming off a tough game against the Atlanta Braves where he allowed five runs over 3 2/3 innings from six hits and six walks. Similarly to other Mets losses in this stretch, it was the fourth inning that did Holmes in. He allowed only one run through the first three innings while the Mets’ bats gave New York a 5-1 lead. Then, everything fell off in the fourth.

The Mariners have the following career numbers against Holmes:

  • Randy Arozarena 2-12, 8 K
  • Dominic Canzone 0-0, RBI
  • J.P. Crawford 1-2
  • Mitch Garver 2-2, 2B
  • Dylan Moore 0-1, 2 BB, K
  • Josh Naylor 2-4, 2B
  • Jorge Polanco 1-1
  • Cal Raleigh 0-4, BB
  • Luke Raley 2-3
  • Julio Rodriguez 1-5, BB, 2 K
  • Donovan Solano 0-1, K
  • Eugenio Suarez 1-7, BB, 2 K

Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Mariners Lineup

  1. Randy Arozarena – LF
  2. Cal Raleigh – C
  3. Julio Rodríguez – CF
  4. Josh Naylor – 1B
  5. Eugenio Suarez – 3B
  6. Jorge Polanco – DH
  7. Dominic Canzone – RF
  8. J.P. Crawford – SS
  9. Cole Young – 2B

The Mets’ bats will get a look at George Kirby tonight who has pitched 85 innings over 15 starts with a 3.71 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.071 WHIP, and a 101 ERA+. Kirby is coming off of a fantastic start where he shutout the Baltimore Orioles over seven innings. In his last three starts, he has allowed only two runs over 19 innings, scattering 11 hits and four walks.

The Mets have the following career stats against George Kirby:

  • Pete Alonso 2-3, HR< BB
  • Francisco Alvarez 1-1
  • Brett Baty 0-1
  • Francisco Lindor 1-3
  • Starling Marte 2-2, 2B, 3B
  • Ronny Mauricio 1-2
  • Jeff McNeil 1-3
  • Cedric Mullins 3-17, 2B, 2 BB, 4 K
  • Brandon Nimmo 1-4
  • Juan Soto 3-3

Game Notes

Right-handed pitcher Tylor Megill continued his rehab, making a start for Double-A Binghamton. He went 3 1/3 innings, struck out nine and allowed only one hit. Importantly, he did not walk a batter. Megill threw 55 pitches (39 stirkes).

Both the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies won their respective games today. The Mets will need to win Sunday night to attain their positioning in the standings; 5.0 games behind Philadelphia and 1.5 games behind Cincinnati.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Francisco Lindor. He’s been the player to watch on the Mets now for about a week. Lindor now has at least two hits in four consecutive games and has reached base at least twice in five consecutive games. During this stretch, Lindor is hitting 11-for-20 with two doubles, three home runs, seven runs scored, and two stolen bases (.550/.609/1.100). His stolen base on Saturday clinched his third consecutive 20-20 season and a second consecutive 30-30 season is in reach. Despite the massive slump he just got out of, Lindor has a 121 OPS+, the same OPS+ he had in 2023 and just lightly behind his 2022 125 OPS+.
  2. Can the bullpen do it again? Gregory Soto pitched 1 2/3 innings of perfect relief Saturday. Edwin Díaz was called on for a six-out save and allowed one run on two hits while closing the door. This gave the rest of the Mets bullpen a much needed day off. The Mets’ bullpen let New York down on Friday with Tyler Rogers allowing a run, Ryan Helsley allowing two runs, and Brooks Raley allowing three. With Díaz most likely unavailable tonight, the other big names in the Mets’ bullpen will have to step up.
  3. Journey Bank Ballpark. It’s always fun for players and fans to see the team play in a different stadium. Last season, the Mets played in London. New York last played in the Little League Classic against the Phillies back in 2018, a game that the Mets won 8-2. The Baseball Savant numbers suggest it’s a difficult park to hit in, but there’s also a fairly small sample size.