Mets' Clay Holmes grounds Nationals, Francisco Alvarez homers in shutout victory
Mets' Francisco Alvarez, left, celebrates his two-run home run with Jesse Winker, right, during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Washington. Credit: AP/Nick Wass
WASHINGTON — Carlos Mendoza picked the perfect game for Jeff McNeil to make his first start of the season in centerfield: One in which ground-ball machine Clay Holmes is pitching.
McNeil did not get a sniff of a chance in Holmes’ five innings in the Mets’ 2-0 victory over the Nationals on Saturday before 33,867 — including a sizable and vocal contingent of The 7 Line Army — at Nationals Park.
The game was delayed by rain for 25 minutes before the first pitch and for 46 minutes during Nathaniel Lowe’s at-bat in the bottom of the first. If not for that delay, Holmes might have gone longer, as he was taken out after only 70 pitches.
“There’s a lot of new things — challenges,” the converted reliever said. Pitching through a rain delay is one of them. To keep warm, he threw twice during the delay.
“It was tough just to kind of cool all the way down and try and so some throwing underneath,” he said. “Try to stay as locked in as you can, but really not much you can simulate like the game speed.”
Holmes (3-1, 2.64 ERA) allowed four singles and did not walk a batter. Of his 15 outs, 11 were on the ground, two were strikeouts and two were in the air — a fly ball to left and a pop-up to short.
No centerfielder needed. (Or rightfielder, for that matter.)
Francisco Alvarez, who like McNeil made his season debut on Friday night, hit his first home run, a two-run shot inside the rightfield foul pole in the second inning to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Some troubling news: A.J. Minter left the game because of left triceps tightness with one out in the eighth after throwing a pitch to James Wood.
Minter, who has been stellar with a 1.64 ERA, said he expects an injured list stint after an MRI on Sunday.
“I’m just glad it wasn’t my elbow,” he said. “We’ll get a better idea [of the severity] tomorrow.”
Max Kranick replaced Minter and finished the inning with the shutout intact.
Edwin Diaz, who had walked off the mound on Wednesday because of a hip cramp, walked one but struck out three in the ninth for his seventh save.
It was emerging relief star Kranick who rescued the injured Diaz on Wednesday, too.
“He knows he’s got elite stuff,” Mendoza said. “It plays. He’s not afraid to challenge hitters. He continues to get big outs in huge situations for us.”
Danny Young replaced Holmes to start the sixth and allowed a single by CJ Abrams. Then it was a no-gloves needed the rest of the inning (except for Alvarez’s) as Young struck out the next three batters.
Washington’s first fly ball hit to center came after Reed Garrett allowed two singles around a forceout in the seventh. But it wasn’t McNeil’s problem; Tyrone Taylor had replaced him to start the inning, and he ran down Jose Tena’s drive to just right of center with no problem. The inning ended on Jacob Young’s looper to Luisangel Acuna.
Tough day again for umps
The umpires had a rough day one game after Alfonso Marquez’s missed call at first base led to a triple play against the Mets.
On Saturday, three calls — all initially ruled on the field in the Mets’ favor — were overturned by replay.
Francisco Lindor was incorrectly ruled safe on an attempted steal of second in the first. The Nationals’ Dylan Crews was incorrectly ruled out at first on a grounder to short in the second. McNeil was incorrectly ruled safe at first on a bunt single attempt in the seventh.
Washington challenged all three calls, and all three were overturned. Marquez, who was behind the plate, was not involved.
Raley big news
The Mets have reached a contract agreement with lefty reliever Brooks Raley pending a physical.
The deal includes a team option for 2026. Raley, 36, had Tommy John surgery last May after appearing in eight games with the Mets.
In 2023, Raley had a 2.80 ERA in 66 appearances for the Mets. Mendoza said he couldn’t comment on the possible late-season return for Raley to bolster the bullpen because the deal wasn’t official.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
