Holmes takes perfect game into sixth as Cubs get glimpse of new-look rotation

CHICAGO – Clay Holmes has pitched on some of baseball’s biggest stages. He has handled high-leverage outs in the World Series. He has made a pair of All-Star teams. The righty has donned the uniform of both New York ballclubs, experiencing the pressure and expectations for those big-market franchises.

On Friday afternoon, Holmes got his first taste of Wrigley Field as a member of the Cubs.

“You feel the passion they have here,” Holmes said. “It was definitely a warm welcome to Wrigley.”

And for his part, Holmes offered a great introduction.

In a 3-0 victory over the rival Cardinals, Holmes pitched into the seventh inning and had his signature sinker working throughout the afternoon. The veteran righty was perfect against the first 16 batters he faced, generating not only ground balls, but a buzz through the old ballpark as fans anticipated a potential bid at history.

While the perfect game and no-hitter were wiped away with a soft single to right field by St. Louis’ José Fermín in the sixth inning, Holmes nonetheless gave his new audience a brilliant show. It was evident to everyone in the building why the Cubs’ front office felt strongly that Holmes would be a great pairing with this Chicago defense.

“That was excellent,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “As a sinkerballer pitcher, that’s what the game looks like when they’re having their day, right? The ground balls. Kind of the contact, but it’s weak contact a lot. He pitched wonderfully.”

It was the kind of outing that could have Cubs fans dreaming about the possibilities come October.

Not only did president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer swing a deal with the Mets to land Holmes, his front office also reeled in October-tested Kevin Gausman from the Blue Jays. The rotation is also poised to get hard-throwing righty Edward Cabrera back from the injured list for a start on Sunday against St. Louis.

Beyond Holmes, Gausman and Cabrera, the Cubs also have past All-Stars currently in the rotation in Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and David Peterson. The crowded staff has led to Colin Rea and Javier Assad moving to the bullpen, and Counsell and his staff need to decide how to shuffle things once Cabrera returns.

Talk about a good problem to have right now.

“With all the pitching we have, it just kind of elevates everybody,” Holmes said. “When you have this much talent, this many pitchers, the tide raises all the boats, really. Everybody, you know you have to put in work and you want to pull on the rope and do your part.”

The 33-year-old Holmes certainly did his part on Friday.

The righty featured his sinker 55% of the time (44 out of his 80 pitches), creating 11 outs via ground balls and finishing with three strikeouts against one walk. Following that single by Fermín in the sixth, Holmes got César Prieto and JJ Wetherholt each to ground out to escape the inning unscathed.

Holmes gave the Cubs 6 2/3 scoreless innings with just the one hit allowed – a step forward from his team debut on Saturday in Kansas City. In that outing, the righty fought his sinker command some and was charged with four runs over four innings. Counsell called it an “expected” performance, given Holmes’ lengthy stint on the IL.

When Holmes started against the Royals, it was his first big league appearance since May 15, when a comebacker fractured his right fibula. The starter began rehab games by July 23, but Friday marked just his fifth game back (Minors included) from the injury.

“Look, it’s one thing to be healthy,” Counsell said. “And it’s another thing to be in your best compete-mode self. And I think that doesn’t happen overnight. … But what I think is so impressive is to see the adjustments that he made to get so quickly back to being himself.”

Holmes said there is still work to do on that front.

“Step by step, I’ll eventually get back to the pitcher I know I can be,” he said. “Obviously, I feel good and I feel like the stuff’s there, but it’s just getting that final little bit back is the hardest part. It’s a process and I’ll keep working. But it was nice to go out today and get the results that we want and help this team win.”

The Cubs fans on hand appreciated it, offering Holmes a rousing ovation as he exited the game in the seventh.

“That’s what you imagine and you kind of hope for,” Holmes said, “is pitching at Wrigley, the Cubs uniform on, Friday day game. It’s special. It’s iconic. To do it with this team and these guys that have been so great at welcoming me in was a lot of fun.”