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Mets pitcher Clay Holmes made a spectacular entrance in the World Baseball Classic, representing Team USA for the first time on Saturday night.
In relief of Tarik Skubal, the current American League Cy Young winner, Holmes delivered an impressive performance against Great Britain in their Group B matchup. The 32-year-old pitched three scoreless innings and struck out six batters, showcasing his talent on the international stage.
Holmes, a standout right-hander for the Mets, achieved a remarkable feat by striking out five consecutive Great Britain batters during the fourth and fifth innings.
This marked Holmes’ debut in the WBC, and the two-time All-Star had previously expressed his enthusiasm for representing the United States in this prestigious tournament.
“I feel ready,” Holmes stated earlier this month in an interview with MLB.com. “Whether you’re in spring training facing a big league lineup or competing in the WBC, the goal is to get outs and perform at your best.”
After initially being held scoreless for the first four innings, Team USA erupted for five runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth to take a commanding 9-1 lead.
Following Holmes, Yankees closer David Bednar came in and threw a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two.
Great Britain did start the game hot, however, with outfielder Nate Eaton taking Skubal deep on the first pitch of the game and Trayce Thompson robbing Will Smith of a homer in the second, but Team USA rolled after that.
After losing in heartbreaking fashion to Japan in the 2023 WBC, Team USA came back stronger than ever for this year’s tournament, with manager Mark DeRosa assembling a star-studded team this time around.
“Not only can we talk about players, but our coaching staff, too,” Team USA captain Aaron Judge told reporters on Monday, according to The Athletic. “We’ve got All-Stars, Silver Sluggers, World Series champs, [pitching coach Andy] Pettitte, one of the best postseason pitchers ever.
“It’s just some of the best baseball players that ever played the game in one room, so it was pretty cool to get a chance to address them and talk with them. That’s what I kind of started out with: It’s just an honor to be here in front of you and be wearing the same uniform as you guys.”