The Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles played the third game of their three-game series on Sunday. The game had a special feeling to it because of a uniquely scheduled 11:35 a.m. first pitch. Truist Park greeters, groundskeepers, and concession staffers were busy preparing for the game as early as 8 a.m.
The Atlanta Braves were swept by the Orioles following a 2-1 loss.
Atlanta Braves righthander Grant Holmes will make his 18th start of the season this morning. Holmes, 4-8 overall with a 3.47 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 102 innings, is much better than his record indicates.
Braves’ manager Brian Snitker complemented Holmes’ performance on Sunday, saying, “he did everything he could to keep the game manageable for us.” Despite the losses, Holmes has been a steady presence in the rotation and has given Braves opponents fits this season despite not getting the run protection a starter needs to succeed.
Braves opponents were hitting .213 against Holmes this season. That average went up a few points after Orioles second baseman Jackson Holiday hit a two-run homer in the third inning. Holmes pitched well, going six innings, giving up those two runs, and striking out five Orioles. Dylan Lee came on in relief to begin the seventh inning, and Pierce Johnson pitched in the eighth.
The Braves had several opportunities to score a run in this game. In the seventh inning, after Sean Murphy hit a double off the top of the right field wall to start the inning, the inning ended without the Braves scoring a run and on a pinch-hit strikeout by Michael Harris II. In the eighth inning following a Stuart Fairchild infield hit, Ronald Acuna, Jr. came up to pinch-hit for Nick Allen, and proceeded to swing at the first pitch he saw. Acuna grounded out in what would be his only at-bat of the game. Matt Olson would come up with Fairchild on second and strike out for the third time today.
Murphy homered in the ninth to drive in a run. Ozzie Albies, 0-3 to this point of the game, singled down the right field line, and then Drake Baldwin struck out. That left Michael Harris II to either win, lose, or extend the game for the Braves.
He grounded to second base. Game over.
The Braves couldn’t keep Holiday off the bases all day. The son of former Colorado Rockies star Matt Holliday went 4-4 wth a pair of singles, a double, and the home run in the third.
Early Games: Braves fans will be able to enjoy several other pre-1 p.m. starts at Truist Park this season. The schedule includes games against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, July 23 (12:15 p.m.), Seattle Mariners on Sunday, September 7 (12:05 p.m.), and Washington Nationals on Wednesday, September 24 (12:15 p.m.).
What’s Next: The Braves are off on Monday, then will play the next six games (Tuesday-Sunday) on the road. The pre-All-Star break schedule will have the Braves in Sacramento against the A’s and in St. Louis against the Cardinals.
Following the All-Star break, the Braves will host the New York Yankees in a three-game series beginning on Friday, July 18, followed by a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants, beginning Monday, July 21.