National League ERA leader Clay Holmes will make his first career start against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon as the New York Mets try for just their second road series win of the season.

The right-handed Holmes (3-2, 1.75 ERA) hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his six starts. He comes in off an 8-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday that saw him allow three hits and a walk over six innings while striking out six.

“He’s been doing it since last year,” Juan Soto told the New York Post. “No surprise what he’s been doing. He’s a grinder. He’s been putting in the work every day, so I’m really happy to see that.”

Holmes is 0-0 with a 2.35 ERA in nine career relief appearances against the Angels.

New York’s only road series victory came April 2-5 when it took three of four games at San Francisco. The Mets defeated Arizona in their next game to improve to 7-4 but since have lost 18 of their next 22 games.

The Mets won the series opener, 4-3, on Friday on Ronny Mauricio’s go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. They had several excellent scoring chances to win Saturday’s game and the series before losing 4-3 in 10 innings on Oswald Peraza’s walk-off bases-loaded single off reliever Austin Warren.

It was Peraza’s first career walk-off hit and snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Angels.

“It feels amazing,” Peraza said after lining an 0-2 curveball into the gap in left-center to drive in automatic runner Adam Frazier from third. “We needed that win, and thank God. I was looking for a good pitch to hit and see the ball, and I feel so happy for the win.”

It was just the second win in 13 games for the Angels, who — like the Mets — have won only three series this season.

“I guess there was no other way to do it than a walk off,” Los Angeles manager Kurt Suzuki said. “It hasn’t been easy. So really proud of them. They grinded, they battled.”

Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (2-0, 3.09) gets the start for Los Angeles and will try to give the Angels their first series victory since April 10-12 at Cincinnati. That also was the last time Kochanowicz picked up a victory, allowing two hits and one run over seven innings in a 10-2 win in the series opener.

A big question going into Sunday’s finale is who will be playing shortstop for the Mets?

Mauricio, filling in for Francisco Lindor, who is on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain suffered April 23 that could sideline him up to six weeks, broke his left thumb on a head-first slide into first base, beating out an infield single in the seventh inning of Saturday’s loss.

“He’s got a left thumb fracture, so he’s going on the IL” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s tough obviously. You lose your everyday shortstop and the guy that comes up that is getting the everyday opportunity here now is hurt. Somebody else is going to have an opportunity.”

-Field Level Media

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana is breathing a sigh of relief after recording his first major league hit in Saturday’s game against the Athletics, snapping an 0-for-12 spell to start his career.

Bazzana will look for more production at the plate on Sunday afternoon when Cleveland vies for a sweep of its three-game series against the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.

The Guardians selected Bazzana with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft after his standout college career at Oregon State. While his first full season in the organization in 2025 was hampered by an oblique injury, it did not delay his fast track to the majors. The 23-year-old from Australia made his debut on Tuesday.

A .407 hitter in his final college season, Bazzana got his first major league hit when he singled off Hogan Harris in the seventh inning of Cleveland’s 14-6 win over the A’s on Saturday. Bazzana even accomplished two goals in one swing — the single also gave him his first two RBIs.

“It was a competitive at-bat, and I was confident he was going to go at me with the fastball right there — I got a good one,” Bazzana said.

With his first hit out of the way, Bazzana hopes to catch the slipstream of his teammate Chase DeLauter, who’s been on a tear at the plate. DeLauter extended his hitting streak to seven games and has reached base in 11 straight after recording a single in the second inning on Saturday.

With 8-5 and 14-6 victories secured on Friday and Saturday, the Guardians already have snapped a stretch of three straight lost series. Now they will turn to left-hander Parker Messick (3-0, 1.73 ERA) to try and complete the series sweep.

The 25-year-old out of Florida State has instantly made a name for himself since debuting in August 2025, allowing two or fewer runs in 10 of his first 13 career starts.

On April 16, Messick took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against Baltimore but was removed after giving up two runs and two hits over eight innings. Sunday will mark his first-ever appearance vs. the Athletics.

Messick will oppose A’s right-hander Aaron Civale (2-1, 3.23 ERA), who spent the first four full seasons of his career in Cleveland before being traded to Tampa Bay in 2023. He then split time between the Rays, Milwaukee and both Chicago teams before joining the Athletics on a one-year deal this past offseason.

Civale, 30, is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in four career starts against the Guardians. He was a late addition to the A’s roster in February but has emerged as one of their most consistent starters.

“Overall, he keeps us in games right now, and that’s a good sign,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said after Civale’s last start on Tuesday.

The A’s lost to Kansas City 4-1 in 10 innings, but Civale threw five shutout innings in a no-decision.

–Field Level Media

As Emerson Hancock was warming up Saturday, he caught himself watching some of the video tributes on the scoreboard at T-Mobile Park for Randy Johnson, whose No. 51 jersey was retired by the Seattle Mariners in a pregame ceremony.

Hancock then went out did his best impression of the “Big Unit.”

The former first-round pick struck out a career-high 14 batters over seven innings but didn’t get a decision as the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 3-2 victory in 10 innings.

The Royals, who came to Seattle with a 3-12 road record, will try for a sweep of the three-game series Sunday afternoon. They’ve already clinched their first road series victory of the season.

“You know a lot of these games are going to be close when you’re playing good teams,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Today the pitching really held up and the offense came through. (Friday) it was more the opposite. When things are going well for you, you’re winning games no matter which way you have to do it.”

Hancock, whose previous best was nine strikeouts set March 29 against Cleveland in his first start of the season, allowed one run on six hits and didn’t walk a batter.

“Congrats to Randy on an incredible career,” Hancock said. “It was an honor for me to pitch on a night like this. You just want to go out and execute the best you can.”

Catcher Cal Raleigh was a late scratch for undisclosed reasons, so Hancock worked with veteran backup Mitch Garver instead.

“He and Garve had an incredible game plan, mixing hard and soft,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.

Wilson described Raleigh, coming off a record-breaking season with 60 home runs, as having “just a little soreness.” He said the catcher would undergo additional testing Sunday but refused to disclose what part of Raleigh’s body was ailing.

The Royals tied the score in the ninth inning.

Salvador Perez led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Lane Thomas, who advanced to second on a balk by Mariners closer Andres Munoz. With one out, Jac Caglianone lined a single to left-center, with the ball bouncing between the legs of outfielder Julio Rodriguez and rolling all the way to the wall, allowing Thomas to score and Caglianone to take third.

Maikel Garcia’s sacrifice fly in the 10th produced the winning run after ghost runner Michael Massey stole third base on a pickoff attempt by Garver.

“Not exactly how we drew it up,” Quatraro said.

The Mariners took the lead in the fifth as Leo Rivas scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. They blew a chance at a big inning when Randy Arozarena forgot the count and was picked off first base.

“It was kind of a crazy game with the balk and Randy losing track …” Wilson said. “You don’t play this game without embarrassing things happening at times.”

Sunday’s series finale is set to feature Royals left-hander Kris Bubic (2-1, 3.74 ERA) against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (0-2, 6.35).

Bubic took a no-decision Tuesday against the Athletics in a game the Royals won 4-1 in West Sacramento, Calif. He went five innings and allowed one run on four hits, with four walks and six strikeouts. Bubic is 1-0 with a 7.27 ERA in four career starts against Seattle.

Castillo is coming off an 11-4 loss at Minnesota in which he gave up seven runs over five innings. He’s 3-2 with a 3.47 ERA in eight previous starts versus the Royals.

–Field Level Media