Clay Holme’s career shift has produced mostly positive results.
Holmes will continue his transition from closer to the New York Yankees to the start of Mets as he takes the pile in Minneapolis against Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
The 32-year-old right-hander registered his first victory as a starter since his rookie season in 2018 when Mets defeated to visit Miami 10-5 on Tuesday.
Holmes (1-1, 4.30 era) gave up four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 rounds while they recorded 10 strikes and went three.
“I thought he was really good. Better than the line points, to be honest with you,” said Mets -Manager Carlos Mendoza. “He finished striking 10 in a day where conditions were really, really tough, and for a guy whose places move so much. How windy it was – the first inning, the walks … he found a way and he made it look easy, and I didn’t think it was so easy.
“I have to give him credit. In order for him to go out in sixth after what we saw in the first, under conditions like this, I thought he did a (good) job.”
Holmes gave up two runs in the first round and then settled.
“I think after that first I was in the position to” just make a pitch at a time “and came through a better excursion,” he said. “It was definitely an adjustment after the first round.”
The windy conditions forced Holmes to rely more on his four-seam Fastball.
“Went to the four seam, put me in better bills,” Holmes said. “That was the pitch I had the most feeling for. Got me in the zone, opened a few things.”
Holmes gave up two earned runs in 4/3 rounds in its first start in Houston on March 27. He allowed a earned drive in 4/3 rounds against Marlins on April 2, and he is 2-1 with a 1.94 era in nine career relief excursions against Minnesota.
The right-wing trader Joe Ryan (1-1, 2.65 era) starts for the twins on Monday.
Ryan comes from a fantastic excursion against Kansas City on Wednesday where he threw seven speechless innings while collecting his first victory this season when Minnesota got a 4-0 victory. He allowed only two hits and no walks. He threw 63 strikes between his 85 seats.
“I felt really strong,” he said. “I didn’t even think about anything. We worked on some things this week just mechanically and came to my lower half again. It was a big lead last year. I locked it in more, and I could only do a few things a little longer and more consistent.”
Ryan has not gone a batter in his first three starts, but his latest excursion was his best.
“It’s about as dominant as you can ask for,” said twins manager Rocco Baldelli.
Ryan meets Mets for the first time in his career.
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Minnesota saved the final in a three-game series against Detroit with a 5-1 victory on Sunday. Byron Buxton led the crime with a double and homer.
Mets took two of three matches against athletics over the weekend, including an 8-0 shutdown on Sunday.
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