PORT ST. LUCIE — These really were the four starts — the first four and final four — that Clay Holmes made in the majors. It was 2018. He was a rookie:
1. Joe Musgrove, the key return in the offseason trade of Gerrit Cole from Pittsburgh to Houston, developed a right finger infection. So, Holmes had to fly to Los Angeles to start on Independence Day against the NL’s best offense. The Dodgers beat up Holmes for four runs in three innings and he was sent to the High-A Bradenton Marauders afterward — one of six times he would be optioned that season.
2. Holmes was summoned to start the nightcap of a July 14 doubleheader against the NL Central-leading David Stearns Brewers. Holmes delivered six shutout innings in the midst of a five-game sweep of Milwaukee that was part of an 11-game Pirates winning streak. That convinced Pittsburgh it was in the race, motivating one of the worst trades in franchise history — Tyler Glasnow, Shane Baz and Austin Meadows to the Rays for Chris Archer. Holmes’ reward? He was optioned again.
3. He returned Aug. 10 to provide a spot-start breather for the rest of the rotation. With the Pirates in playoff pursuit, this move was widely criticized in Pittsburgh for not going with their best. And that was before Holmes was strafed for seven runs in 2 ²/₃ innings by the Giants. It became the symbolic trigger for 10 losses in 13 games that basically ended wild-card dreams. And, yes, Holmes was immediately optioned again.
