SEATTLE MARINERS -118 (Kirby) At NY Mets (Holmes) For our sake, converted closer-type Clay Holmes has taken it as far as he can with having been the Mets’ opening day starter. He’s at 126 innings pitched, exactly the total number of innings he pitched for the Yankees in 2023 and 2024 combined. Holmes got 13 runs of sup port – 5 of them in the first 3 innings – in his last start, but couldn’t carry it longer than 3 2/3 innings while al lowing 5 runs. His April-May-June ERAs were 2.42, 3.34, 2.93. His July-August ERAs are 4.91, 7.27. On the other side, we have George Kirby, who grew up a couple of long fly balls away from Shea – er, Citi Field -- across Long Island Sound in Rye, NY. As opposed to the Mets’ converted closer going outside his career innings limit in mid-August, Kirby is a legit starter who got a late begin ning to his 2025 season (May 22), currently in fine form with a 1.44 ERA in his last four starts, all of them 6 or 7 innings. He’s started in Citi Field twice with the Mariners, in 2022 and 2023 – no luck! 0-2, hasn’t been able to make it his Playland. Well, Thomas Wolf wrote, “you can’t go home again,” didn’t he? But somebody also said, “third time’s the charm.” No idea who. Maybe Henry Ford. Or Abraham Lincoln. Possibly Floyd Patterson?
