Clay Holmes’ strong start, six homers propel Mets past Braves

ATLANTA — The newest Mets starting pitcher may have provided a tutorial for many of his rotation mates.

True fact: it’s not a crime to pitch six innings or greater.

Clay Holmes on Saturday followed the example set by rookie Nolan McLean a night earlier and threw strikes.

The result was a second straight outing into the seventh inning for a Mets starting pitcher — still not a world record, according to Guinness, but noteworthy enough given the manner this season has proceeded for the team’s rotation.

In his longest start in almost three months, Holmes helped deliver a 9-2 victory over the Braves at Truist Park that gave the Mets a fifth win in their last seven games.

Six homers carried the Mets’ offensive attack. Mark Vientos and Jeff McNeil each hit two, and Pete Alonso and Starling Marte delivered one apiece.

Three of the Mets’ blasts were hit in the seventh inning to extend a one-run lead.

The outburst gave the Mets 29 homers in their last 11 games.

The Mets remained six games behind Philadelphia for first place in the NL East.

They began the night with a 1 ½-game lead on Cincinnati (the Reds played a later game in Arizona) for the NL’s third and final wildcard berth.

Holmes, who before McLean’s seven-inning gem on Friday, was the last Mets pitcher other than David Peterson to complete six frames in a start (that occurred on June 7) started and finished strong on this night.

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Overall, he lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Marte, in addition to going deep, helped spark the team on the bases and with his arm.

The 36-year-old outfielder stole two bases and threw out a runner at the plate as the starting left fielder.

McNeil, back in the lineup after a two-game absence with right shoulder discomfort, launched a three-run homer in the third inning that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead.

McNeil smashed a first-pitch cutter from Cal Quantrill just inside the right-field foul pole for his 11th homer this season.

Francisco Lindor began the rally with a leadoff single – extending his hitting streak to 11 games – and Juan Soto walked.

Following a double steal, Quantrill retired Alonso and struck out Vientos before McNeil unloaded.

Marte’s arm saved a run in the bottom of the inning. Jurickson Profar hit a fly to medium left field, on which Nacho Alvarez Jr. tagged up at third base.

Marte, starting in left with Brandon Nimmo sidelined by neck stiffness, unleashed a perfect throw home to nail Alvarez for the final out.

Holmes walked Matt Olson and Ronald Acuna Jr. to begin the fourth and both runners scored.

Acuna was safe at second — the Braves won a replay challenge — on Michael Harris II’s grounder to McNeil, loading the bases before Marcell Ozuna’s sacrifice fly brought in Atlanta’s first run.

Drake Baldwin’s ensuing squib between the plate and pitcher’s mound (Holmes’ only play was to first base) scored Acuna and sliced the Mets’ lead to 3-2.

Holmes received a boost in the sixth from Tyrone Taylor, whose full extension dive in center field robbed Harris of a hit for the final out in the inning.

Alonso and Vientos homered in consecutive at-bats in the seventh, extending the Mets’ lead to 6-2.

Alonso followed a walk to Juan Soto with a fly to right that kept carrying and cleared the fence near the foul pole.

It was homer No. 29 this season for Alonso.

Two pitchers later, Vientos hit a shot into the left-field seats for his 10th homer this season.

After McNeil was retired, Marte hit the Mets’ third homer of the inning, widening the gulf to 7-2.

Vientos went deep again in the ninth, giving him four homers in his last six games.

McNeil followed with his second homer of the night.